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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29661801">There are hoofprints in every Garden</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BizzyInaBanjo18/pseuds/BizzyInaBanjo18'>BizzyInaBanjo18</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Apocalypse, F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 22:47:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>38,026</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29661801</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BizzyInaBanjo18/pseuds/BizzyInaBanjo18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>I woke up in the jungle. I had never been to the jungle before. Weird, considering that's where it all began, the start of homo sapien evolution. In the jungle.</p><p>I woke up in The Garden. I had never been to The Garden before. Weird, considering that's where it all began, where Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. In The Garden.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. I'm not a scientist</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>"Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."- Genesis 1:26</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I remember vividly how I woke up. I was lying under what I thought was an elongated leaf of a tree, but as I rubbed my just awoken eyes my vision became more accustomed to the dark cave I was in; subjugated beneath multiple stalactites. I was very scared, one minute I was taking a nap on my living room sofa in South London. One moment my mum was shouting to me ‘Don’t stay up too late, Milly!’, the next I’m in a cave under a stalactite that I originally thought was an elongated leaf of a tree.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I screamed, well I thought I did but I don’t think any sound came out for some reason. I cried, well I thought I did but I couldn’t feel any tears running down my cheeks for some reason. I couldn’t feel much to be honest. Kind of just lied there for a bit, looking up at this cave.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> I didn’t know what else to do, count the number of stalactites there were, calculate the ratio between the stalactites and stalagmites. My field of view didn’t expand to the whole cave, so it seemed futile to even attempt counting. I then thought I may have sleep paralysis, maybe caused by the stress of exams, but I thought that silly. Why would I imagine myself in a cave? Nonsense. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I’ve never been scared of caves, in fact I’ve always wanted to visit one, like those things where you walk through them and go down a really long elevator. I don’t really know what they’re called, mineshafts maybe? I thought that was what happened, I probably went to one of those things with my family and I fell off the elevator, paralysed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I didn’t though. I had no idea I was in a never-ending jungle. I had no idea there were other people like me. Some sort of cerulean fluid oozed out the various crevices of the stalactites, causing a dripping sound. </span>
  <span>Drip. Drip. Drip. </span>
  <span>I hated that sound. But there was nothing I could do, I can’t tell a dripping sound to stop dripping. That’s nonsense. I just continued to stare. I decided to imagine the stalactites as sheep, count them, hoping I would fall asleep. I found out it’s rather hard to imagine stalactites as sheep, the anatomical structure of a sheep doesn’t compliment the sharp shape of a stalactite. I realised what I was trying to do was stupid, where would the head go? The legs? Nonsense.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It got more boring than scary after a while. A climatic experience was when I got my scent back, the cave smelled of damp charcoal, with an essence of either sweat or vinegar. Either way it stunk. I could suddenly feel motion in the phalanges of my hands. I pondered for a bit about the silly word, phalanges. I smiled, I could smile, I smiled because I could smile when I thought about the silly word, phalanges. My limbs were able to flex and extend, I could lift myself up. I felt so relieved but a little disappointed, as a whole I would kind of miss my cosy little spot in my odious-smelling cave. My ponytail loosened, strands of brown curly hair fell on my face. My skirt was dirty, my favourite pleated skirt. I cried and could now feel the tears running down my cheeks. Well, I assumed it was a mixture of tears and sweat, it was very hot. It was a rather long walk until the opening of the cave. I felt as though I were in my deep, visceral mind.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The arched opening let in green-tinted light, I was in some sort of arboreal metropolis. This wasn’t a surprise to me, I’ve always liked trees and such. This was a dream to aid me with comforting tranquillity. But I didn’t know my subconscious was that into nature. I didn’t know much about my subconscious at all; I never thought to talk to my subconscious, see how she feels, it’ll be too awkward. And this was my subconscious doings. They always make the dreams up right?  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I paid farewell to my strange cave and continued through the towering tree skyscrapers. It was day time, I assumed for it was still rather light. I questioned my sanity for a moment, not uncommon in vivid dreams like those. But it felt too real, everything was just so real. The smells, the coarse lines winding their way through the tree branches, the water vapour caressing my cheeks (still uncertain whether it was water vapour, tears or sweat). The crunching sounds of leaves as I ventured through this arboreal metropolis. I became scared again, any other 17 year old girl would be in this position. But I wasn’t really like any other 17 year old girl, I was chosen to be there for a reason. I was unsure whether to retreat back into my cave or continue the forest trails. I stood thinking for a good few moments, </span>
  <span>is this my subconscious’ idea of entertainment? Just some solitary exploration of a jungle?</span>
  <span> I knew I should continue, out of respect and politeness, at least my subconscious was trying.  The trail I chose from was trepidatious, kept me on my toes I must say, a few scares from leaping frogs that I could instantly tell by the resplendent colours that they should be kept away from. Why is it that the prettier the frog the more dangerous? Real shame.    </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nostalgia sprung in my mind as I stepped over protruding logs or low branches; the nice walks I had with my family through the local woods. I had no idea I wasn’t ever going to do them again. Mud splattered on my shin and even reached my favourite pleated skirt. I cried again. I couldn’t fathom why my subconscious would make me go through the simulations of my worst nightmares; ruining my clothes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That’s all I cared about for a while, growing up I was never good at academic based work, so fashion and cosmetics became a passion of mine. Different styles from each era, I loved a little bit of all. I never really had a set aesthetic, I believed myself too individual and idiosyncratic to have a set aura.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I loved most things about most aspects of life.   </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The canopies distorted my view of the sky, I could see just small snippets of blue gems encrusted between the branches and leaves.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The trail began to incline, I wasn’t one for strenuous activities so I got out of breath fairly quickly. I felt my bare feet sludging through the path. I slipped up, my hands collapsing on the incline. My knees pierced through the sludge of leaves, moss and grass. I didn’t mind, because it was just a dream. But I still cried again. I didn’t know why. The path grew steeper and steeper as I ascended. I Realised that I was climbing up a hill. I didn’t look back; however, I anticipated the major plot twist my subconscious concocted for me; some sort of tropical bird-dragon hybrid I can ride to take me home. I reached the top, I was rather underwhelmed. I was at the precipice of a cliff viewing a clearing. It was relatively dull, plain grass surrounded by the same old jungle trees. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Although in a clearing, there was no improvement in my view of the sky, the canopies somehow arched over to conceal the blue abyss. It wasn’t much of a clearing to be honest, just a space to give the trees a rest from having to dominate this vast metropolis. I stepped forward along the edge of the cliff in the hopes of advancing my view. I stood there for a good few minutes examining this set. It was very realistic. Regardless of how boring it was.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span> I seemed to have forgotten I was on the end of a cliff, moved my left foot forward. I suddenly realised while my leg was in mid air that I was about to fall. I thought that this was the part where I fall and wake up again. Only I didn’t fall, a sweaty hand grasped my presumably sweaty arm as I lowered my head to the direction of the ground. The sweaty hand wasn’t strong enough; the gravitational force still caused it to tumble over the edge. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sweaty hand was still firmly grasping my sweaty arm as we both slid down the cliff edge. Dust and sand formulated between the friction of my feet grazing against the cliff; propelling into my face. I couldn’t imagine the detriment inflicted on my favourite pleated skirt. My feet conveniently glided through the cushioned grass at the bottom like a dolphin diving through the water. I felt a sort of strange elegance while landing, of course my backside ached with multiple burns and scratches. But somehow I was elegant. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The clearing looked prettier from the bottom somehow, various blossoming flowers that you wouldn’t have possibly been able to see from up high. It smelt nice, it felt nice, a comforting place. You could peak through each crevice between the trees, See a few animate shapes lurking around. It was somehow comforting though, a typical day in jungle life. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I seemed to have forgotten there was a sweaty hand clasping my arm. Three tight squeezes of my arm caused an instantaneous rotation of my head to the direction where the sweaty hand derived from.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A young woman's face was connected to the shoulder that was connected to the arm which led to the sweaty hand. She had eyes of milk chocolate brown, enclosed by long delicate eyelashes. Beauteous eyebrows; softly arched to compliment her poised eyes. Glistening skin that may have been emphasised by sweat, was the pigment of olive brown.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘You okay?’ Her voice was monotonous yet saccharine, a dichotomy between the two that reached tranquillity.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Yeah I’m fine.’ </span>
  <span><em>Subconscious whatever you’re planning, keep fucking going</em>,</span>
  <span> I thought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘A-are you okay?’ I said, my eyes must’ve been blank, but my mouth agape.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Yeah I’m fine, what were you doing trying to fall down there.’ The woman turned her head back to the cliff, I stayed looking at her, even the back of her seemed charming. I stared into the jet black waves of her hair, small cracks between the strands exposed her décolletage. I was completely mesmerised by the aesthetic of this goddess that I forgot the fundamental aspects to verbal communication; if someone asks you a question you respond.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘Uh I didn’t mean to, I don’t really know what’s going on to be honest.’ I began to start blushing, I usually did this around pretty women.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘Neither do I, I woke up in the middle of the jungle around an hour ago, I’ve just been walking around, hoping to find someone. Luckily I found you.’ She smiled at me, her peeled back lips uncovered her perfect teeth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I began to realise this wasn’t a dream, this was real life. I didn’t mind, I didn’t mind at all, in fact I was more than happy to just stay there in that moment forever. I changed my internal thoughts from directing them to my subconscious to directing them to god. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Thank you God, thank you for flying down this angel. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I wasn’t Christian, but it just felt right.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The woman stood up, ‘My name's Sara, you?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Emily, but just call me Milly.’ I grabbed the hand she lifted out for me without hesitation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘How old are you Milly?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘17, but I’m like really smart.’ I made her chuckle, it was a kind of chuckle that someone would do when something sentimental happens. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I’ll take your word for it.’ She smiled a kind of judicious smile. A more focused smile as if she was simultaneously wondering whether I could be: really smart.  I didn’t mind the silence, the words coming out my mouth were cracked between heavy breathing, probably from the fall but also the awe of her beauty. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Well h-how old are you?’ I asked her as we directed our stride back to the trees. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘20, and I’m kinda smart I guess.’ She chuckled the same chuckle, I mimicked it, but it wasn’t as charming. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I felt an acrimonious sting between my eyes which caused me to instantaneously squint with pain. I decided not best to rub my eyes, it was probably the dust formed by the cliff we slid down, flying into my eyes. I blinked a couple of times while envious of her long eyelashes that could easily brush the sand particles out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You okay?’ She squeezed my arm to indicate that she was directing her question to me; I couldn’t see anything due to the incessant blinking of my eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Yeah, just something in my eyes I think.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Ah okay, I’ll guess I’ll lead the way.’ I was rather surprised with myself and Sara at our nonchalance concerning the matter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>We were in a jungle for no apparent reason. I guess maybe she thought it was still a dream, and I was just content with gazing at her aesthetically pleasing aura. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was rather ethnically ambiguous, difficult to tell her race, whether she was white, black, mixed race. I thought it better not to ask, I could imagine it being rather impolite. I didn’t really know what was taboo concerning race, I was mostly seen as a white girl in a white family in a house in South London. My grandmother was black, but I never met her. She died before I was born. My mother didn’t look mixed race, but if she told people they wouldn’t have been surprised.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But when I told them I was third generation Jamaican-British, most people were surprised. A pale girl with freckles, hazel eyes and curly hair could pass as white. To everyone I was just a normal, pretty white girl with slight seasoning. I was always complimented about my appearance</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I never had time for relationships however. I was asked out a few times by many boys in my school but I politely declined most of them. I liked to focus on school, I was never going to be a scientist, but I wanted to be able to earn enough money to buy all the skirts, shoes, turtlenecks I wanted. Now that goal was ultimately futile, because I was stuck in a jungle that I couldn’t leave with my dirty, ripped at the seam, favourite pleated skirt.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>We walked through the arboreal metropolis hand in hand. Caught the attention of a few insects, a trail of rather large ants (compared to the ones from my South London garden) climbed in a long and meandering trail up my arm. Scavenging through the hairs on my skin. It felt horrible but I was too scared to sweep them away with my hand so I let them proceed with their journey like we were doing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I’m assuming we can’t be the only ones here,’ Sara said, swaying her vacant arm to move the leaves piercing through the space in this trail.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I haven’t seen anything but weird frogs.’ Sweat travelled from my temple and slid down my jawline. It was uncomfortable but it felt like I just finished a work like I had accomplished something.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You think there’s like big cats and shit here, like real big cats?’ Sara was a few steps in front of me, the hold of our hands broke as she wiped the sweat off her palms on her pink vest top.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘I don’t know, you think this place is real?’ I asked her. The place seemed real now, but she didn't. Everything about her was too aesthetically pleasing for my eyes to comprehend. It started to make me agitated, the soft texture of her hair was delineated visually with resplendent shine. I grew to dislike her, but love her at the same time. She was very attractive to me and that made her annoying. How dare she swoop into my life and be too attractive for me to handle? While thinking about this I was unable to catch her answer to my question, I didn’t really care for her answer. I just wanted to hear her satisfyingly monotonous voice. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>We continued without speaking, I could see the back of her head maintaining a forward direction but I assumed her brown eyes were darting left and right, aware of the sinister enigma of this jungle. Anything could jump out between the tropical bushes.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span> And something did, well someone I should say. They didn’t really jump out, more jumped down from the high trees. They landed in the bushes, causing perennial rustling which made my nose scrunch up. Not only did I hate the sound but I was drenched with pessimistic anticipation, I thought it was some sort’ve monkey waiting for prey to challenge to a blood-infested primate battle. I clasped Sara's hand while positioning myself behind her, she was the older one so she should be the fighter. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A head popped out the bushes, a head with an array of blonde curly locks concealed the two eye sockets. I assumed the head had eyes, maybe it didn't, maybe it was just some weird mutated chimp? I could see two pale hands piercing through the stratified layers of the bush in unison. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Can I have a hand please?’ An exasperated voice projecting from the bush and was emphasised with the shaking of the two hands. It was rather slapstick, a bush doing jazz hands. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I nudged Sara to indicate to her that she was the one most right to do the job of helping the blonde headed bush. She headed forward, slapped her hands on her thighs with her legs slightly bent by the knee.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You’ve gotten yourself in rather a predicament haven’t you?’ Sara looked back at me, giggling. I started to giggle too, but then stopped realising we may have read the room wrong. The blonde bush thing could be seriously hurt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Don’t you know it?’ The bush giggled, mimicking Sara’s giggle in a sardonic undertone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I’m gonna push you up okay? So be careful.’ She took both the shaking hands and pulled backwards to where I stood. The blonde head was heaved forward and caught air for a few seconds as he tumbled over Sara and, like dominoes she tumbled on me. Our fall was once again cushioned by the soft grass which was now longer than the grass from the clearing. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The blonde head jotted up, took Sara’s hand and lifted her until they both stood. The blonde head was now an apparent man, fairly tall, broad shoulders. The eyes were still concealed, I was almost certain he had eyes now because I had never met a fairly tall, broad shouldered man without eyes before. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He ran his dirty hands through his blonde hair to expose them, his other hand reached out in a friendly gesture to lift me up. His botanically green effervescent eyes were very hard to miss. He leaned closer towards me as I took his hand to pull me up. He was also very aesthetically pleasing, I had never been particularly attracted to the male sex but there was no denying of the equally measured beauty he attained in comparison to Sara. He had very clear skin, well I imagined under the cuts and dirt. He had coy red lips under a smoothly shaped button nose. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘You okay? Sorry for that ladies haha.’ His voice was now chummy, antithetical to his previous state. He wasn’t stuck in a bush anymore so I wasn't surprised that he no longer felt angry.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘What were you even doing up there?’ I asked querulously, reciprocating his previous annoyed emotion. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Your guess is as good as mine, I woke up like that, I don’t fucking know how.’ He glanced up in the canopies for a few seconds. ‘Yep, no fucking clue.’ He nodded affirmatively and positioned himself in a way that he can lock his eyes on both Sara and I. He clapped his hands together like a teacher would to at the front of their class. ‘So, ladies, what the fuck is this? Some kinda weird escape room? If so it is very well constructed.’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>We looked at each other. ‘We don’t know either, we just woke up and here we are.’ Sara brushed the dirt-concentrated sweat off her face, the action seemed futile to me for she had even more dirt and sweat on her palms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Ah okay, so what is the plan? We just gonna keep walking?’ The man emphasised the intended patronisation with a hand gesture that resembled someone walking. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was annoying, she was annoying with her attractiveness, but there was nothing she could do about that. He on the other hand didn’t have to be an asshole. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘We’re just gonna keep moving till we meet some form of civilisation.’ Sara said this plan without conversing it at all to me prior, but it seemed like a reasonable idea.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Ah okay, and the ‘we’ I’m assuming are just you two? I’m Spencer by the way, Spencer McIntosh. Nice to meet you fine ladies.’ He gestured his hand in the hopes one of us will shake it. I didn’t, Sara didn’t.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I’m Sara, this is Milly, she’s 17 but like really smart and I’m 20.’ She smiled at me. I smiled back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Ah okay, well hi Milly and Sara, I wasn’t aware age was necessary but I’m 25.’ He smiled a smug smile that made me question how much more smug this man can get. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t look 25, no facial hair, smooth skin. He looked around my age, or maybe just a few years older.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Should we continue then?’ There was an awkward silence then. Neither of us answered him verbally but our progression of walking through the jungle insinuated that we heard him, just ignored him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘May I ask how everyone got here?’ His annoying voice behind me was like an ear worm wiggling through the nooks and crannies of my ear. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I woke up on the ground, somewhere in the trails.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I woke up in the cave, I couldn’t move for a bit but then I was able to get up.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Same here. You think maybe a plane crash?’ Sara asked me because I seemed like the most knowledgeable of her two options.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Don’t think so, I’ve never been on a plane.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Maybe we’re just having a dream party y’know?’ I judged Spencer's input forgetting that I and most likely Sara came up with a similar theory not too long ago.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I don’t think you’re the type of person my subconscious will make up for me in my dreams.’ I turned round to see his face, he smirked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I see I see. Well to be honest the type of ladies I want are ones who are at least entertaining to talk to, you girls don’t speak.’ His smirk turned into a snarl, but a snarl on a handsome face like that isn’t something you can take seriously. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Well I pardon if we’re not the most chatty but we’re just trying to find out what the fuck is going on Mr Blonde.’ Sara looked the man up and down and grimaced, exemplifying her disgust.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Maybe some sort’ve nuclear explosion? Like I don’t know, the world mutated into some jungle and we’re the only survivors.’ There was a little bit of worry in his voice now, he was scared if that could be true.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘That seems like a possibility.’ I pitched in, I mean it’s fairly logical. The worlds a shitty place, people do shitty things which leads to shitty things happening in the world that the shitty people live in. Not as saccharine as a dream party though.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘If that has happened what would we do, we can’t live like this, so we’d just kill ourselves.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Spencer seemed a lot more serious now, well he was at least trying to be serious, face too pretty for seriousness.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘If it’s the case count me out of the communal suicide, finally some excitement in my life.’ Sara then looked back at me, waiting for my response.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The truth is that I didn’t know what I would do, if Armageddon really happened, I thought I’d stay alive, until the bit where I have to actually fight. Then, I’d make a dramatic exit from this cruel world. I wasn’t going to be a scientist so it didn’t matter.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The trails grew narrower so we had to walk single file like the ants crawling up my arm. Most of them fell off as I wiped my arm with a palm leaf. I thought it was a palm leaf, but it probably wasn’t, there were probably some stratified names for that leaf. I wasn’t a scientist so I didn’t care.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> Sara was in front, guiding us. I wasn’t sure if we made an executive decision to have her as our leader, but perhaps her habitual traits complement that of a leader, so it happened naturally. I was in the middle and Spencer at the back. I felt unfortunate having to be the one enduring Spencer theories and ideas of what had happened; the weird thing was that he never verbally wondered why. The process of his thinking out loud was very regimen; he recapped what had happened, how he woke up, recalled what he was doing before he went to sleep, then came up with a new idea.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I was just sitting there, lying there, on my bed after a visit to tesco's, decided to go for a doze, now here I am. A fire perhaps, alien invasion, terrorist attack. Made us vacate to the zoo? Is London Zoo this big?’ He paused for a while then repeated the process. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I pretended I was disinterested, not listening, but I was. I almost forgot what happened to me, I was so confined to Spencer's ignorant evaluations of the current circumstances that I couldn’t remember how I got it here myself. Then I remembered the silly leaf stalactites and all was good. Well, not good but you know what I mean. Sara didn’t say much, but we heard the slashing of her right hand, due to the absence of a machete, across the inconveniently positioned leaves poking out into the trail. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I looked around at the jungle we were travelling through, it was very static, as if at peace with us moving through it. The trees went on forever, the hunter green abyss between them went on forever. The trail itself seemed to go on forever. I became bored of Spencer’s pondering, as a fresh wave of realisation that I am in the middle of the jungle washed over. I would’ve cried, but I didn’t want to cry in front of Sara, the blonde man however I didn’t care about. My legs were trembling from exhaustion. I could feel the rapid formation of blisters on the bottom of my feet; moisture between my toes from the mixture of the humidity and sweat. I knew we had to eventually come to a climax, other explorers, kidnapped by a tribe, a rainstorm. The trail was fairly meandering, inclining and declining, it became rather tedious. Looking at the same type of trees, same leaves, same dirt on the ground. My eyes were continuously shutting open and closed, I was going to pass out soon. I knew we had to eventually come to a climax, other explorers, kidnapped by a tribe, a rainstorm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sara halted near and pressed her fingers to bend her ears, I never knew why people did this or if it effectively enhanced one's hearing, but that type of questioning didn’t matter anymore. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You hear that?’ I couldn’t hear anything so I shook my head like anyone would do if someone asks them a question in which they are unable to respond.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sara pointed slowly to a more sombre abyss between the trees than the others to the left of our trail. I stepped towards the trees but Sara stretched her arm over my chest to halt my movement. Spencer moved closer behind us. I squinted, an intricate outline of an easily identifiable creature twisted around the branches. My eyes sprung open.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a snake. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The snake lowered it’s neck and slithered to the edge of the branch. The tiny yellow spheres that were his eyes on the sides of his head were both split into a black line. A black line was the most prominent element to the snake's face. I hated the snake. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I hated the devious movements of his tongue, a moist string grasping the air as if all the oxygen in the world belonged to him. Everything here belonged to him. His mouth opened to an acute angle, peeling the curtains open to uncover half his reptilian fangs. They were ivory white, a relatively wide gap between the two. I couldn’t see the bottom of those curved samurai swords, I didn’t want to. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The excruciating friction between the snakes slithering movement and the branch catalysed an acrimonious shiver in my head. I didn’t move though, none of us did, we stood there entranced by the snakes face. The pint-sized face resembled one of apathy, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t apathy the snake was feeling. The snake was feeling alacritous desire. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Desire for what was unknown. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I felt unease, disconcerted, I wanted to look away but I couldn’t. I don’t know how long we stood there. I felt the sweaty hand clasp mine again, </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Let’s keep moving.’ Sara whispered into my ear, I couldn’t tell if she was looking at me or still at the snake, I assumed she couldn’t take her eyes off him as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Let’s get going ladies.’ Spencer leaned into my ear, his hands gesturing shooing action. I wanted to slap him. But I couldn’t do that because I didn’t really know how to move. I didn’t know how to talk. It was as if I forgot most fundamental attributes to being human other than staring at the snake before me. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Emily, c’mon. You okay?’ I wasn’t but Sara didn’t know that and wouldn’t care. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She pulled my body forward from my hand as Spencer nudged my back. It was like a one sided game of tug of war. The snake's eyes followed my movement, until He was out of view. Maybe he was still watching, but from a higher position, much higher, transcending the blue gems encrusted between the jungle canopies. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>We didn’t have to travel too long until we encountered our second predatorial native to the jungle. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A sudden splash of a water current echoed through the trees. Water was nearby.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Let’s take a detour and go through here, I don’t think I can continue without some form of hydration.’ Sara cut through the trees without hesitation, and of course we followed her without hesitation. We just assumed she knew where to find the rivulet contraption. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She did and eventually we were there. I could only imagine the cool refreshment I would get from cupping my hands and slapping my dirty face in the glistening liquid. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sara hit away some sort’ve palm tree leaf (again, not a scientist) to uncover the refreshing view of a lake. Radiant shine was embroidered through the tranquil flow of the water. The sky opened up more and you could see the clear blue canvas peering down on us earthlings. But it wasn’t peering down on this place. No, it looked down on the lake with infantile envy of all the attention it was getting from us. I was parched, we all were. I didn’t know the other two’s physical abilities but it didn’t take a scientist to know that trekking through a sweltering jungle couldn’t possibly be done by anyone without water.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But we were there, we finally found water. Nothing can top this place. The bouldering rocks plotted around the outskirts of the clearing seemed like crystals placed by angels. The sharp edges weren’t anything to be feared but to be admired; Resplendent. The lake was oval shaped that was outlined by stone, small, less sharp; kinder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was bliss, the quintessential image of nature; the place where it all began. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Oh thank god!’ Spencer barged between us and collapsed his knees desperately at the edge of the lake, his shins must’ve collided with the stones. The stones were king though, so it wouldn’t hurt. They were there to outline the zenith of refreshments; water.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I could hear the perpetual swishing and swooshing of the water as his head was submerged in it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Such an ass hole.’ Sara rolled her eyes but proceeded to nudge me out the way, just like Spencer did, to reach the water. I didn’t mind, I was more angry at the fact she looked too pretty while doing it. I paused for a bit, watched her bend over and enter the lake, running her wettened hands through her soft, oh so soft, hair. Her palms caressed her cheeks, then she moved one to the back of her neck, flicking her hair away to expose her full décolletage. It was as beautiful as I imagined it to be. She looked at me, eyebrows raised. I then realised I was biting my bottom lip. She gestured for me to come over tilting her head back and forth, but I was happy just watching. I didn’t need to cool down anymore.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You wanna stink?’ Spencer's head emerged from the surface and kicked his legs up, causing some droplets to rest on my nose.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was lucky I didn’t go in. If I did, I would have missed the tiger lurking behind the trees on the other side. He wasn’t hard to miss once you’ve seen him, vibrant orange, intricately implemented between the black stripes. The bright yellow nonchalant eyes fitted between the ivory white whiskers. Now I realised I was no longer biting my lips but my mouth was agape, not mesmerised by this predator like I was with the snake, but now in disbelief. The only time I saw tigers as a kid was behind a glass barrier, on wildlife documentaries, or even illustrations. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Never saw one wanting to eat me, maybe they all wanted to eat me but I didn’t realise. Sara could recognise the terror in my eyes and turned around, facing the tiger. Spencer did the same. The tiger stood between the trees like a man between a doorway, legs spread. His mouth contracted to let his yellow-tinted dagger-like teeth breath. Spencer vivaciously swung his body out the water; his blue ralph Lauren polo shirt now a dark grey as well as his Nike shorts. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The tiger growled, Spencer ran towards me. Sara stayed in the water, not moving, trying hard not to spark an unnecessary stir in the water like Spencer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The tiger was now grinning, yes he was grinning, grinning at me and Spencer on the other side of the lake. His yellow eyes stray to Sara, his front paws then followed. His back paws then positioned themselves directly parallel to Sara in the water, the grin was now a grin of determination, ready to eat. He crouched. He roared.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span> I didn’t know what to do, I wasn’t going to save her, Spencer certainly wouldn’t save her.  We communicated nothing to each other on what to do, Spencer's face now seemed blank. I wouldn’t be surprised if he just darted into the trees.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I didn’t think to do that myself however, I just had to watch and hope for the best. The tiger extended his legs and propelled off the ground, heading directly to the lake like a platform diver. Spencer gasped. I dug my elbow into his stomach, not quite sure why, but it was almost in a way that one would shush the person next to them in the cinema.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>These actions were almost fluidly followed with an unidentifiable sound deriving from the tiger. The sound yet again came almost naturally followed with the cracking sound of water splashing everywhere as he tumbled into the water much less elegantly than he set out to. A Long stick seemed to have pierced through the tigers fur on his back, the only part of him protruding from the water. It was like a very large leafless palm tree on the remnants of a rather large island with orange and black sand; the rest was engulfed by this beautifully crafted water. A woman leaped out of the trees and ran to the edge of the lake extending her arm to help Sara out. It was difficult to see her face properly but her arms look relatively robust, like an Olympic athlete. Sara was thrusted up into the air by the women's pull and staggered her dangling legs out the water. She wiggled across over the stones, I could imagine the discomfort of the stones digging into her stomach. Yes, they were beautiful and kind stones, but they were still stones. The tigers head darted through the water, the woman had another stick, I now realised they were spears (made a lot more sense) and shoved it through the tigers open jaw. It was flopping like a fish now swinging its paws across the surface of the water, the woman didn’t restrain however, she continued to dig the spear through. I almost felt obligated to root for the tiger, a once champion, now an underdog. A true sporting story. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman nudged the flailing cat back into the water, held a sturdy position for a few seconds to prevent the cat from emerging again. The tiger was most likely dead. Drowned possibly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sara gazed at the descending tiger in the water as the women yanked the spear out the tiger's mouth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Do you mind getting the other one? since you’re already wet.’ I couldn’t see the woman’s face because she was focused on Sara. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sara nodded and slipped in the lake. She came up a few seconds later. With a spear. The water washed off the blood splattered on the sharp end of it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked at me and Spencer on the other end of the lake. She tapped the women's shoulder to acknowledge our presence. The women looked at us with a curious face, perhaps she thought Sara saw another tiger. It was rather awkward, we stood silent for a while until I waved. Waving doesn’t count as sound technically but it’s a start. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Yes, that's right wave at her, that’ll make her think we’re cool.’ Spencer whispered in my ear, droplets of water from his chin dripped on my top. I dug my elbow into his stomach again. He nudged me to the side and walked towards the edge, closer to the woman.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Thank you for that and saving our Sara, you see we have absolutely no clue what the fuck is going on haha, so you mind forming our lil’ posse or at least handing us one of your very cleverly crafted spears I must say.’ Spencer flew his hands up in the air in a kind of laid back plea. He clapped his hands again in the same smug mannerism as before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> I rolled my eyes and walked towards the lake that now inhabited the dead tiger. The woman's face was more distinguishable now, she wasn’t pretty but attractive. A different type of attractive to Spencer and Sara, radiated a more attractive aura. Brown hair to her rather broad shoulders, black short sleeved top to show off her sturdy biceps. She wasn’t my type, but very attractive. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sara sat on the grass looking pretty, staring up at the new woman like a child to a mother. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘When did you guys get here?’ Her eyes scanned the three of us in one rather impressively swift motion. A stern look on her face projected a sense of professionalism and seriousness, as if she was an interviewer and we were the interviewees. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Me and Emily met and found each other in another clearing, and Spencer fell from a tree, we just woke up in random places.’  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Ah okay, you guys come and follow me, meet the others.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘The other? Oh thank god.’ Spencer dropped his legs into the lake and moved precariously around the dead tiger. ‘Sorry my guy.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I followed after him, not wanting to look at the tiger, I hated dead things. Why would anyone like a dead thing? I wish once things die they would just dissipate in the air so no living thing has to be subjected to death before they even die.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman helped Sara up, I was slightly jealous that she got told hold hands with Sara even if it was a few seconds. Spencer held a hand to help me out the water but I batted it away, he frowned but it wasn’t a surprised frown. The women helped me up, It wasn’t as nice as Sara’s hold but better than Spencer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You guys follow me and watch out for insects, snakes, tigers n shit okay?’ Her authoritative undertone was rather irritating; there were noticeable flaws in these people's personalities.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was unfair of me to judge too quickly but I couldn’t help it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I was a very judgemental person growing up, I judged a lot of people at school, that was probably why I didn’t have a lot of friends. I never really minded, I’d meet people, get bored of them, then move on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Spencer was a dick, This new woman was bossy, and the relationship between me and Sara was more of a love hate relationship. Well, on my side anyway. I didn’t know what Sara thought of me, but I wanted to.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>We disappeared through the trees, meeting a similar single file trail as before, only this time there was a rather steep incline. The woman was using the two spears as walking sticks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We heard the growling and the splashing so I thought it best to check if more people were here, and you were.’ The woman turned her face to smile at us, it wasn’t a friendly smile; the most apathetic smile a person could do. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I’m glad you did because if you didn’t poor old Sara would be dead, we couldn’t have that now could we Em?’ He patted me on back and I grimaced, he couldn’t see I was grimacing because he was behind me but I did it nonetheless. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You’re sick.’ You could hear the slight crack in Sara’s voice, as if she was about to cry. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That shut Spencer up, I think he realised he crossed the line.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Spencer seemed like the type of person with no filter, someone that would say things without really realising the consequences. Of course, I kept in mind that I had a tendency to judge people too early, but I was never really wrong with my guesses.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>We reached the top of the trail, it led to a cave. The cave wasn’t as big as my cave but it seemed more spacious and less long. Short and fat, was the better description. We walked through a small space of grass before we reached the entrance. I walked by Sara, she seemed scared, I wasn’t though, I liked caves now. I was a cave person. Basically a troglodyte by then, but a pretty and like really smart one. I couldn’t tell if Spencer was scared- he was behind me- and refrained from talking in shame after his crossing-the-line comment towards Sara's near death experience. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cave wasn’t sombre, the day was settling orange-pink; but that might’ve been because of the flickering light lingering in the centre of the cave. It was a fire, I could smell it but not directly see it, a person was sitting in front of it. The back of their head stayed still, Insinuating that the eyes staring longingly into the fire.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We have more people.’ The women walked around the fire to face the sitting person. It was a woman, ginger woman; although I didn’t definitively process that in my mind yet. I thought of the possibility that she was actually a brunette and the reflection of the burning fire altered her true shade. She was in fact ginger, but I was not certain at this point.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her eyes were bright blue. Not pretty ocean blue but scary thunderstorm blue, shark blue. We walked toward the fire, the woman made no effort to get up and greet us. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Hi.’ Sara said. I was right next to her doing my shy wave. Spencer was behind us, not saying anything. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Hi, what are your names, may I ask?’ The woman turned her body around and stood up, her face wasn’t particularly courteous but the first thing you have to ask someone when you meet them is your name before you can ask them questions you actually care about; it’s human protocol.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I’m Sara, this is Emily, and Spencer.’ Sara ducked her head to show Spencer's full face, still not talking just a smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Where are you guys from?’ Both of the women's faces were stern, waiting anticipating for the answer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Uh well. I’m Cuban.’ Sara turned to face me waiting to say where I’m from. I felt confused because she didn’t sound Cuban.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I’m British.’ I then looked at Spencer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Same here.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Figures.’ The ginger woman laughed and the tiger killing woman nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You see, to me, you all have an Australian accent.’ The woman walked towards us and gestured for us to sit down, I assumed she was going to tell us a story to rid the perplexity on our faces.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>We all sat round the fire. I sat directly opposite the ginger woman and with Sara and Spencer by my side. The tiger killing woman slowly followed us and sat beside Sara. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It reminded me of the days when my family and I would sit down by the campfire, my mother and I sang and dad played acoustic guitar. We weren’t particularly good at those things, but those memories stained my mind like some sort of sentient, sentimental paint. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The ginger woman began to talk, ‘My name is Julia and this is Aubrie, I woke up in this cave about five days ago.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I woke up near the lake area like three days ago.’ Aubrie intervened. Julia nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We met each other here 2 days ago, I went to get some water and we saw each other, we came back here, saw a few other people and talked.’ The segments of coral light reflecting from the fire caressed Julia’s cheeks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I’m Spanish, I can’t speak very good English, but me and Julian were still able to converse perfectly fine, to me she sounds like a Spanish native.’ Aubrie rested her elbows on her crossed knees, her hands on her face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We don’t really know what's going on, it’s too early to tell, but I think it best we just stay here, try and survive, I don’t know, if more people come we can get some sort of expedition group to try and find out what’s going on.’ Julia was older than us, early 30’s perhaps. Not old but older. Aubrie looked similar age, only brunette and far more muscular. I hadn’t really processed the information they gave us, I just sat there guessing their ages, personality, whether I’d like to live with these people in this cave in this jungle. The other things were just grown up shit that I didn’t think I'd have to deal with.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘So maybe some sort of joint coma you think?’ Sara asked the two women.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Possibly, I think we’re just gonna wait around and see if other people can bring information, anything you guys wanna add, know?’ Aubrie looked at all three of us. I shrugged, Spencer shrugged, Sara shook her head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘The same thing happened to us more or less, and again to me you all are speaking Spanish with the tint of the native Cuban dialect.’ The two women nodded, I nodded with them, Spencer did the same.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘The others will be back soon, hopefully with food, You guys hungry?’ Julia turned her head around to look outside, the day was getting darker.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Yeah I’m hungry, I haven’t eaten anything.’ This was the first time I said anything in a while, and by the present company's reaction, it wasn’t a particularly interesting comment. Julia's question was more rhetorical, but I had to say something to remind people I was also here.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>We sat for a while, the three other women staring into the fire, faces blank, Spencer beside me looking around the cave in curiosity, probably intrigued by the stalactites at the top. They weren’t as nice as my stalactites, but they were okay. His face turned to us then he and I held a stare. This stare continued as he spoke. ‘So we just sit in silence. Nothing?’ This was the first time in a while he properly said anything as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I guess what can we really do to be honest?’ Aubrie shrugged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Spencer rested his chin on his hand, thinking up an answer to this. I felt bored</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Like back in my cave when I couldn’t move, I tried counting the stalactites again, but it was hard on my neck having to look up for that long. I didn’t like the fire, it was too hot already, we didn’t need the fire, well we did but I didn’t. I could’ve sat in the dark, we weren’t doing anything anyway. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We could play a game?’ Sara said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Sure, what game?’ Julia raised an eyebrow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Something to learn a little more about everyone?’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I don’t know any games.’ Aubrie pitched in. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We can just go around in a circle and say something about ourselves.’ I said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Sounds like a riveting game.’ Spencer nudged my arm. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Okay we’ll start from me yeah?’ Julia stood up, rubbed the dirt off her jeans.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Hi everyone, my name's Julia Rodgers, I’m 30 and a high school principal at Himony High school in New South Wales.’ She sat back down and continued to stare into the fire as if she never moved.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Uh, hi my name's Aubrie Gonzalez, I’m 29 and a personal trainer in Malaga.’ Aubrie nodded affirmatively.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Hi, I’m Sara Delahoyde, I’m 20 and a waitress in Havana, and yeah.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was my turn now, I didn’t really know what to say, even though there seemed to be a habitual structure to these introductions, I was still nervous though. I stood up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Well hi.’ I waved and smiled. ‘I’m Emily Smith, 17 and like really smart from London.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I did a sort of pathetic courtesy with my dirty favourite pleated skirt, then sat down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Me next yeah?’ Spencer shot up. ‘Hi ladies, my name's Spencer Macintosh, I’m 25 from London and a drug addict. Haha no I’m not, well at least I don’t think so. Tough crowd yeah.’ He sat down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was something strangely endearing about Spencer now, the type of person you can’t take seriously. To be honest, I never really took men seriously. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was an awkward silence yet again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Well that game lasted long.’ Spencer turned to me, I giggled a little. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘The others should be back soon.’ Julia looked at her watch as if the concept of time really mattered to us anymore. She looked up like she realised what she was doing was stupid.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘So these others, are they ladies as well, not that I’m complaining.’ Spencer giggled, I did not this time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Johnny and Roberto, I think their names were.’ Said Aubrie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Yeah that's right.’ Julia nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Oh fun, a mentalist and an Italian.’ I dug my elbow into Spencer’s stomach, my way of telling him he’s gone too far. The others didn’t seem to care, they weren’t interested in anything other than the fire. Is this going to be my life for a while? Staring into a fire?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I was the type of person to be rather optimistic about things. Staring into a fire seemed much better than going to school, having to do exams about iteration, tectonic plates, the battle of balaclava. A weekend getaway perhaps from the cyclical, tedious and mundane aspects of my previous daily life. Instead of waking up to get the bus, I can just wake up to go feed some monkeys. Instead of homework at the end of the day, staring into the fire was what I could be met with. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No, this is good, yeah it is, </span>
  </em>
  <span>I thought.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>An outline of two men were standing at the cave entrance. One fairly taller than the other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They approached us, their appearance being more distinguishable as they walked closer to the fire. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A woman appeared from behind the taller man. I couldn’t see much of their faces, just their torso’s. The taller man had broad shoulders, muscular arms like Aubrie. The smaller man was skinny, perhaps a boy. The woman was of similar height, long straight hair. The taller man was shirtless, carrying his top like a bag.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We could only find fruit: mangoes, dragon fruit and figs.’ The man dropped the top full of fruit on the ground, one green mango rolled towards my feet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I was glad it was fruit, despite the 7 years of devout vegetarianism I would’ve eaten meat anyway, but I’m glad I didn’t have to come to that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Ah okay, we have new people here,’ Julia said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘So do we, well just one person.’ The smaller man spoke, it was clear that he was a lot younger, around my age. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Hi, I’m Amaya.’ The woman’s face transformed from a shadow to a radiant glow. Her skin was resplendently brown, I could imagine her smile was beautiful, but her face looked scared. Her hair was an obsidian black, long and voluminous. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Julia stood up, ‘Hi there, I’m Julia, where are you from?’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘India, you?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Australian, I’m assuming they’ve told you about the language thing?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Yeah well, I kinda figured most things out.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Julia turned to the taller man. ‘Smart girl, did you see anything?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Nothing new just the same old jungle.’ The tall man turned his face to us. Like the others, stern and apathetic. ‘I’m Johnny.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Roberto.’ the boy did a tiny salute. I could see his face, but not Johnny's. He was too tall. The reflection of light cut off by his shoulders.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Roberto was pale, very pale, he looked rather malnourished. In all fairness, he must’ve been in this place longer than me, dinners probably consisting of leaves and fruit. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They all sat down with us. Johnny’s face was more clear in the light. He had brown hair dropping down to his ear lobes, and an incredibly crafted moustache. He looked rather menacing, they all did. Stern, serious faces. Roberto was handing out the fruit. It wasn’t fair rations, Sara got half a mango, Spencer and I a fig each, Amaya a sugar cane. The dragon fruit wasn’t eaten by anyone, no one could or would be bothered to cut it open. I was still hungry.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>We sat and ate our rations together like a dysfunctional family. Not many words were exchanged for a while, but it was a lot more light-hearted than the intense synchronisation of staring at the fire. We all repeated our tedious introductions, mine just as boring as the first one. I decided not to do the courtesy this time, it realised in the first round that the dirt on my favourite pleated skirt wouldn’t do it justice. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I learnt that Johnny was an Icelandic sailor, travelled around most of the world, main hobby was illustration. He drew pictures of his travels all in the comfort of his little sailing boat. Amaya was an aspiring singer-songwriter in Delhi, also a well-travelled individual. She works as an entertainer on the ‘The chameleon’ cruise line: South Asia. Apparently that was where she fell asleep and woke up to here. Roberto was just some 16 year old kid from Italy, loved his football and was relatively good at it, was scouted for the Juventus u17’s.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I can imagine most of the stories they said were probably exaggerated to make them seem more interesting, but I didn’t mind. It wasn’t as if I had the most riveting life in the circle. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The people coming from warmer climes obviously weren’t wearing anything more than two layers. So, it was a rather cold and uncomfortable first night. I found it strange that the time of day changed the temperature so drastically. I’m not a scientist so I didn’t know.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>We brought in leaves, layers and layers of leaves that were poor substitutes for pillows. We had designated sleeping areas; Spencer, Roberto and Johnny nearer the entrance of the cave (not that Roberto and Spencer were going to do anything if there were predators passing by); Aubrie and Julia near the centre to watch the fire; and Amaya, Sara and I at the back. We were seen as the weakest for some reason; the ones needed lots of barriers to the entrance in case of danger. The defenceless young women.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I spent the night yet again looking up at the stalactites on top of this new cave. That was an odd day, the start of a new life, world. The new garden. I didn’t know it was a new world, I retraced back to my previous guess that this was just a dream. I’ll wake up on my sofa in my house in South London. I suddenly realised the complete nonsense this whole scenario was. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Waking up in the jungle. Spencer falling off the trees and landing in the bush. The tiger we saw at the waterfall not even attempting to jump at Spencer or I just Sara; with it’s silly whiskers, (Do Tigers even have whiskers? I don’t know. I’m not a scientist).The fact that we can all communicate perfectly even though we’re all part of different parts of the world (except for me and Spencer). It was all nonsense. And that snake, the ivory white teeth, everything about it was just terrifying, uneasy. I cried again, scared that this was going to be my future. It would be fine for a few days, but I had an inkling that it wouldn’t last just for two days. I couldn’t try to be optimistic anymore.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not living, just surviving. 17 to 20 should be my time for living, leaving school and stuff. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rest might be a blend between the two, but my late adolescents should be living. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I eventually was able to go to sleep.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I dreamed of a frozen wasteland, the complete antithesis to my contemporary location. The sky was a charcoal grey, nothing there, nothing even delicate snowflakes falling gracefully. Just grey at the top, looking down on ice, Flat ice, no extravagant mountains, glaciers. Just ice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No one was there. Nothing, that was it. It stretched out for eternity, I didn’t know that but I could feel it. It just didn’t go to a stop. I was running through it, on my own, hungry like I was in real life, scared like I was in real life, bored like I was in real life. The destination was going to be the same. A frozen wasteland. What’s the point of running if nothings going to change? I didn’t know, I didn’t care. It was a dream in a dream. </span>
  <em>
    <span>My subconscious works in peculiar ways</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I thought.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I was woken up by Sara, my eyes opened to her honey brown ones, peering over me. She was smiling god knows why, but it made me blush. I didn’t know it was possible to blush so quickly after opening one's eyes. But it felt nice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You had a good sleep?’ She said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Sure.’ In my croaky morning voice. Obviously Sara was too good to have a croaky morning voice, her voice remained saccharine yet monotonous. I wandered how much prettier her voice would be in her native tongue alas, I would never know. She helped me up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Fruit again for breakfast I think, you can have more this time, we’ll share a mango.’ She flicked a strand of hair covering my eyes and giggled. I giggled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>We walked out of the cave together. Others were still asleep. I almost tripped over Roberto and Spencer lying on the floor. I think his name was Roberto, I forgot at the time. I became quite forgetful when I used to wake up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Where are we going?’ I asked Sara.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘No clue I’m just following the others, finding food I guess.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Okay.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We’re gonna go down to the waterfall first, cool down again. We have spears this time don't worry.’ She patted me on the shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Okay.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I’m sure this will be over soon. It’ll be okay.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Okay.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She patted me on the shoulder again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>We walked down the steep trail leading us back to the lake. I forgot how beautiful it looked, the memory was clouded by the terrifying presence of the tiger. I suppose it effervesced less of a beauteous aura, more of a relieving aura, source of hydration. I ducked my head in the water, it was lovely and cool, refreshing. I ran my hands through my curly hair. I wanted to cut it. I didn’t need it and at this point I figured it was best to let go of things I didn’t need. I didn’t have anything sharp to use. I washed my armpits and feet. I knew I didn’t need to because everyone else probably smelt but I didn’t want to smell in front of Sara. Even if she smelled, I didn’t want to smell in front of her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aubrie appeared from the trees, carrying two mangoes. She threw one at me and the other at Sara, mine landed in the water. I was able to reach it with my feet dangling in the lake from the edge. I could imagine the raised eyebrows behind me while watching me reach for the mango in a rather peculiar motion. My two feet lifted out the water and I rolled back, taking the mango from my feet's hold using my hand. It was like something out of a slapstick comedy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Thank you.’ Sara said to Aubrie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘No problem, you guys had a good sleep, no?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I guess, given the current circumstances.’ Sara replied. I stood up and nodded behind her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You guys had the same dream, the ice covered ground?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Yeah I did.’ Sara said. I nodded behind her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We should go back, wake the others up.’ Aubrie told us. I didn’t want to tell them that I was dying for a piss, So i hopped back into the water, pretending I was bathing. The fact that Sara could even know that I was urinating terrified me so I tried to cover up my deed with my skirt. The piss was unintentionally brazen and long (I had to hold it in for over 14 hours), too long that they both looked at me slightly concerned. I think they knew what I was doing, their faces were no longer concerned, they knew and they understood.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>We both followed her up the hill again, it seemed rather annoying having a conversation with Aubrie, it was always her asking questions then telling us to follow her, not giving us a chance to ask any.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Spencer welcomed us at the opening of the cave. ‘Hey ladies, you got food for us?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I gave him half of my mango. It wasn’t very ripe anyway. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aubrie walked over to Johnny as he was sharpening one of the spears with a stone. He was leaning on the side of the cave, little wooden parts flying onto his moustache as his eyes were focused on the end of the spears colliding with the stone. They exchanged words. Johnny nodded. They called Julia over and all three of them walked out the cave opening.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We're gonna head off to find a river, hopefully catch some fish, when we come back others can leave if they want, we’ll take it in turns okay?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Have some fruit for now.’ Aubrie dropped some figs on the floor that she stuffed in her jeans pockets. Johnny lifted his hand in the air to signal for their attention. All our heads turned to them in unison, watching them descend down the forest trails. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Thank god we don’t have to follow them,’ Sara chuckled then swung her arm around me.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>We all sat down in a circle around the unlit fire. The cave was dark, even in daylight, and slightly cold now, but I could sit in my drenched clothes if that means we didn’t have to have another soulless commune of just staring into the fire.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>We all ate together like the previous night, waiting for our hunters to come home with fish. I knew my vegetarianism would eventually have to be tested and I came to the conclusion that I had to. Just had to if I wanted to survive. Vegetarians live life, we now had to survive. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Ooo I have an idea,’ Roberto said to the circle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘What?’ Sara said, parts of the figs squeezed between her teeth like gems. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Let's play the island game!’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘What's that?’ Amaya asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You know the deserted island game, we all have to name something we would bring to a desert island, like either a water bottle, our phones, food, lighter, y’know like survival things.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Don’t you think that might be a lil’ depressing? Given the current circumstances, I mean we’re just gonna say the things we want right now but can’t have,’ I said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Oh c’mon, it’ll be fun, it passes time I guess,’ Spencer laughed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Roberto stood up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Okay! Sooo, you, you there.’ Roberto pointed at Sara.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Me?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Yes! Yes you, so ermmm, you’re stranded on a desert island, you can only have one thing, what would it be?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Uh well, I like books, Stephen King books, I guess. Because it’s rather long I think.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘There’s multiple Stephen King books.’ Roberto said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘A’ight, well the one that’s good.’ Sara said, belligerently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Could you have Wifi on the island?’ I asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Well yes you can have Wifi but that counts as a thing, you’re not just gonna bring Wifi,’ Roberto said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Can I bring sanity?’ Amaya put her hand up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Well ermm, I guess so.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘But what if the person already has sanity? There’s no point in choosing it.’ Spencer said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Well don’t choose it then!’ Roberto sat down and frowned like a toddler would.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Amaya stood up, ‘Well, being on your own on an island will exert your sanity so the best option is to obviously pick another person.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Any person? Or someone specific?’ Sara asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Well if you can pick a specific book you should pick a specific person.’ Amaya exclaimed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Does a magic kit count? Like as a whole?’ Spencer stood up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You can but you’ll only be able to entertain yourself.’ Roberto looked up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘But what if you pick a person?’ Spencer asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You can only pick one thing!’ Roberto sunk his face into his hands, a sign of disappointment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Why don’t we change the rules, slightly like each person has to ask someone else what they would pick out of three different things.’ Amaya intervened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Okay, that’s fair.’ Roberto nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘So umm sorry what's your name again?’ Amaya asked me.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Emily.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Hi Emily.’ Amaya stood up and began to orbit the circle while talking as if we were playing duck duck goose.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘So, you are stuck on a desert island, with only the clothes you’re wearing, nothing else, no one else, you have to choose between; unlimited supply of clean water, an island with no predators, or your phone.’ I assumed she added the phone option because of the stereotype that kids can’t live with their phone. I mean it’s not as though adults are much different. The others all stared at me, waiting for my answer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I stood up ‘Well, an unlimited supply of water would be good, don’t get me wrong, but I could just purify the sea water. The phone would be useful to pass time, no predators would be good, but if there's no predators there’s probably no prey, a phone may not be good forever but I can at least try and use it to call someone. So i’d pick the phone.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Fair enough,’ Spencer added.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Now you ask someone else Emily,’ Roberto said rather aggravatingly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Uh, Spencer.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘That’s me.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you pick out of, ermm, a pet dog, your favourite film, or infinite supply of steak.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Hey you can’t do that!’ Roberto snarled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Why not? Amaya said 'infinite supply of clean water!’ I clapped back, not realising my voice was raising.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘But that’s like different ‘cause water is fluid, infinite supply of steak is more than one steak. Doesn't count.’ Roberto crossed his arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Okay I choose just one big lump of steak then.’ Spencer’s voice matched mine.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Okay sure whatever.’ Roberto threw his hands up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘This game's pretty shit why don’t we just play two truths and one lie.’ Spencer tapped Roberto on the shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘There’s no point because how do we know if they’re not all lies.’ Sara uttered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We have to guess that’s the point.’ Spencer clapped back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sara rolled her eyes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>We sat in silence for a bit, no one seemed to want to continue the game.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Amaya sighed, her brown eyes less visible now with the crossing of her eyebrows. ‘I’m scared, what if we don’t go back. What if we never get to see those things again.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her hands twitched together on her lap. I could hear the tears dripping down from her face, but not the eyes that they came from. Her head was lowered. Sara stood up and walked over to comfort her, the rest of us sat in silence. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We will, this is, well I don’t know what this is. I’m sorry, but we’ll find out. We just need to keep on living.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We can’t live like this.’ Her crying turned into spurts of indistinguishable moans that couldn’t be heard over the gradual increase of sobs escaping her. I could see Sara beginning to cry, I could hear Roberto’s weeps deriving from face sunken into his hands.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Well it’s only been one day to be fair.’ Spencer tilted his head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>We all looked at him with shame.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I mean come on, this isn’t real. How can it be real? It makes no sense! I mean me, I’m having a great time, yes I miss home but at least I don’t have to worry about work, or bills or whatever even if it’s for a few weeks. Nice weather, waterfalls, we could make fruit cocktails, women, this is basically a holiday! Maybe God is rewarding us for some reason. We were the well behaved ones.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We will wake up, I’m sure of it.’ Sara cradled Amaya for a few minutes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Again, we sat in silence. There was not much else we could do. When the others came back, I was hoping to be able to go out. Walking through the arboreal metropolis, hearing the leaves whisper to each other, the incessant precipitation of rain echoing through.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> I wanted to do that. Jump off waterfalls, swing through the trees. That's living. I’d be living with my new family. I didn’t know they would be my new family at the time. To be honest it depends what one would call a family, it is such a significant part of life so people will have different perceptions, I would say that they were my family, I didn’t like all of them and I wasn’t going to like all of them, but they were my new family.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I hoped that we would venture on, continue with our journey, at least make the experience interesting. There wouldn’t be aphonic circles of staring around some ominous cave, because when you’re living you have no silence. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You guys had that dream, with the ice?’ I asked the circle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Amaya looked up, the cracks of sobbing still altered her voice, ‘Yeah I had the same.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I’ve been having that dream since I got here, we all have.’ Roberto morosely stated. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘It’s the same one, I’m just sitting down, I can’t move or do anything, my head looks to the right, frozen, my head looks to the left, frozen. I turn around, it’s still frozen, then forward. Nothing but ice, not even snow, ice. So I scream then I wake up.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Same thing for me.’ Spencer was now standing and leaning on the side of the cave. The others all nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I didn’t tell them that I was running in mine, Running across the treacherous ice for no apparent reason. Mostly because I didn’t think it was important. I thought they’d ridicule me, running across ice to get to nowhere. Was I running away from something or to something? That was I stupid decision on my subconscious’ part. Was it my subconscious? I didn’t know anymore.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I grew hungry again, I asked if I could go and pick some fruit and Sara said she’ll go with me.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>We picked some peaches off a tree just outside the cave. She lifted me up on her shoulders. The leaves slapped my chin as if I offended them. I was able to weave my head through the stern branches that could easily poke my eyes out. My fully extended arms were just able to cup two furry peaches in my hands. I never heard of peaches in the jungle before but I wasn’t complaining, and nothing about this made sense so I wasn’t going to question the obscurity of the residence of some hairy fruit. I was able to hop over her head to land on the ground.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Only two?’ She asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘One for me and you, or we can try and share between the five of us,’ I said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Ah okay, the others should be back soon anyway.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I think while we wait for them, we should have some people near the front, You know just in case something happens, I’ll stay here, you guys can eat the peaches I don’t mind.’ She clasped her hands over mine and the peaches softly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was so lovely, irritating but lovely. I smiled then walked away, I didn’t want to, but it would’ve felt awkward if I stayed, I looked back at her as she stood there waiting for the others with the hopes of fish in their hands. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I joined the now irregular circle again. I knelt beside Amaya and raised one of the peaches to her tear-flooded gaze. ‘You hungry?’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She smiled and took one. Her smile, as I expected, was pretty. Not Sara smile pretty, but pretty. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Thank you, I should be the one looking after you, the young teenager haha.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I smiled. Spencer was now charging up and down the cave diagonally, picking stones on his way; dishevelling our communal circle. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Hey Italian boy, wanna throw these around?’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I’m good thanks, I just wanna sit down.’ Roberto was lying on the hard ground, looking up at the stalactites. I now figured this was a common thing for humans to do in caves, stare at the stalactites.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Teenagers are boring now ha! Okay.’ Spencer was throwing the stones up and down. This led to juggling. He had impressive hand-eye coordination; they only fell a few times. When they did the noise echoed through the cave. I Decided to just shut my eyes, lay at the back on the poor-substitute-for-pillows leaves. Only thing I could hear was Spencer's exclamative sound effects.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One. Two. Three. Four. Five. oh!. Thud. Ugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Haha!. Oh no. Thud. Ugh/</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One. Two. Three. Four. Woah. Thud. Ugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Heyyyy. Eleven. Twelve. Ah. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thud.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A large thud crawled throughout the cave. This thud was louder than the other ones. I knew that closing your eyes would enhance your other senses but this was too loud, not loud in volume, but loud in weight. If that makes sense. I opened my eyes and shot up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The day was dark, I didn’t realise how long I had my eyes shut. Rain instantaneously spiralling down diagonally like daggers the moment I looked over at the caves opening. A man was standing in the middle of the opening, next to him was Julia. She seemed to be shirtless, showing just her bra, her jeans now ripped shorter to resemble shorts. Behind them were Aubrie and Johnny, possibly Sara, I didn’t notice. Strangely she seemed like the weakest link of the line up. The man appeared smaller than Johnny, but he held just as much presence. He seemed to be wearing a puffy coat, robust snow boots that emanated belligerent thuds on the cave ground. They marched forward in a military fashion as if they were going to war. Johnny was clutching onto two rather large and, to the hungry, delicious looking fish. They were all grinning, a hubristic grin, apart from the man. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We got the fish!’ Johnny whaled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>We all through our hands in the air to exemplify our glee.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The man however didn’t care about the triumphant hunt of fish.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man’s attire seemed too much for the jungle's humid temperature. None of us looked suited for the jungle, but his attire was for the complete antithesis. As he walked closer it was clear that he had some sort of limp or problem with walking. He took his hood off and unzipped his coat. He flopped on the floor beside us with a precarious thud. On his belt lived multiple contraptions. Swiss army knife, some sort of heavy duty rope, a number of clips. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Now that’s what I’m talking about.’ Spencer ran to the lying man.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Leave him, he’s cut himself. Help me get the fire going and eat okay?’ Aubrie batted Spencer's hand away as he was about to grab the swiss army knife clung onto the man's belt. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You didn’t think to help him a little getting up the hill?’ I asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘He’s fine. Don’t worry.’ Aubrie looked at me with stern eyes but the same hubristic grin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Who is he?’ Amaya asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We don’t know, I think he’s in a bit of a shock about everything. We met him down at the river. Looked like he'd seen a ghost.’ Julia bent down to press her hand on the man’s chest, ‘You’ll tell us what you know and we’ll do the same okay?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man looked up at us. He had the face of someone who had witnessed multiple horrors on his travels, a black Indiana Jones perhaps. Wise brown eyes, dark skin complexion, bald and a rather cluttered stubble. As I scanned my eyes further down I could see a horizontal line of blood infesting his khaki shirt and eventually making its way to his coat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sara and Amaya spent the evening tending to his wounds, Spencer and Johnny passing around bits of the caught fish. Johnny instructed them on how to cut it efficiently, he had had many previous experiences of having to catch and eat fish out in the seas. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was the first time I had fish since I was 10, it was divine. If I wasn’t in the jungle, I wouldn’t have thought it was divine, in fact I would’ve thought it rather repulsive. But I had to eat, to survive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The moist sludges of gill-bearing prey swirling through my mouth felt good, like a nice warm shower. The paucity of verbal communication was filled with the potent munching of our dinner. The man stared at us, then at the fire, tears rolling down his cheeks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘That was so good, jeez, worth it. Sorry I stabbed you Mr man, I thought you were some sort of creature with that big puffy coat of yours.’ Johnny tapped the man's right knee. He didn’t react, just continued to dart his eyes around, cyclical tears flowing down his cheeks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘It’s all gone, you know that?’ The man shifting gaze shot through each of us like a knife.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘What’s all gone?’ Sara asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Everything, the old place, it’s all gone. He told me. I’ve seen it. He’s warned us, he’s warned us many times but no one listens. Greed takes over.’ The man's fingers began to twitch while resting on his stretched out legs. ‘He told us, even the scientists told us, the oil spills, deforestation, pollution, littering. But we don’t listen. We Don't listen to our father.’ His eyes synchronised with his twitching fingers. His hands tugged on Johnny’s top to bring him closer; the tips of their noses almost touching. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘What the fuck!’ Johnny attempted to squirm out of the man’s grip but when looking into his eyes his face dropped in a hypnotised expression.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘He told me to come here, I’m not one of you, I’m not one of the chosen ones, but he told me to come here and tell, he doesn’t want to talk to you, not yet.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Who, who doesn’t?’ Aubrie crawled from where she was sitting to the man.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘The man up there.’ His eyes strayed upwards for a few seconds then sprung back to Johnny’s. ‘Well, I don’t really know where he is,’ The man continued.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Or somewhere else, I don’t know where he is anymore. All I know is that he has a plan for you, you guys are going to grow, thrive, and live a new life. It’s too late for me. But you’re the best of the best. Please just don’t fuck this up like we did. Tomorrow I’ll be gone, but you guys won’t, you guys are going to live. You’re special. Please live, for our father. Follow the hoofprints and you’ll find the new garden.’ The man's eyes rested and his grip loosened. Johnny’s autonomy seemed to be back which resulted in him shoving the crazy man along the floor. He rolled over on his back. He was now just a bundle of a giant polyester khaki-green coat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Don’t fucking do that. You were lucky I didn’t kill you before.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘What the hell was that about?’ Roberto through a stone at the man. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Hey! Don’t do that!’ Sara ran to the man, rolled him over to see his face. I followed her, we towered over him and his closed eyes. He was static, lying there. The man was dead. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was a flickering shudder of lightning that flooded through the cave, followed by a cackle of thunder. ‘What should we do?’ Johnny turned to Julia, standing and peering down apathetically over the dead man. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘How did he even die?’ Roberto kicked the side of the man. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘For our sins.’ Julia muttered under her breath. I’m not sure everyone heard, but I did. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>What the fuck was that display? </span>
  </em>
  <span>I thought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘He said follow the hoofprints,’ Aubrie remarked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We should go.’ Julia began to scavenge through the man's coat. Spencer did the same. His pockets consisted of a tin water bottle, gloves, and a scarf. Suddenly, it was a free for all, we were all scurrying through his belongings as if he hadn’t died a moment before. I retreated to the bottom end of the body, pulling off his shoes and socks. I felt like a pauper from the Victorian age, and extra in Oliver Twist.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The socks were thick, I understood that it probably wasn’t hygienic, taking a dead man's socks, but my feet were in agony. Roberto grabbed the scarf, Sara the water bottle, there was an altercation between Spencer and Julia of who would take the knife. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Just let me take the knife for now, and then you can have it later? You see we’ll take it in turns lady.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Julia slapped an inevitable slap across Spencer's face. The sound hovered around for a good while. ‘Don’t call me lady.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> Spencer dropped the knife. I think I was more shocked at the fact that he hadn’t been slapped earlier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone stopped in their mid-pick-pocketing to face them. To face her. She stood up, towering over us. We knelt simultaneously, like we were prostrating.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We have to go, we have to follow the hoofprints. Aubrie you unstrap the belt and I’ll wear the coat. We have to follow the hoofprints.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Without hesitation Aubrie pulled the belt off the man. The belt was Velcro, the type you’d see on explorers in national geographic. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You, help me lift him up.’ Julia pointed at Roberto. They lifted his body up to pull the giant coat off. Julia flung it around her shoulders and the hood over her head. The fur on the rim of the hood concealed her ginger hair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You guys have everything?’ We all nodded together, our eyes bulging in awe of her poised demeanour. She grinned at us with an authoritative grin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We have to follow the hoofprints. Try not to get too wet.’ She turned around and headed out of the cave. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>We followed her. The rain came bearing down on my head like stones, droplets trickling down my nose, Sara grabbed my hand firmly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You okay?’ She whispered to me.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Abnormally large hoofprints were crafted along the grass on the outside of the cave. Those weren’t always there, or were they? I couldn’t remember. I just knew I had to follow them, we had to follow her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> She was a few steps before the crowd declining down the trail. I could feel the acrimoniously cold droplets rushing to my face. The spontaneous slashing of lightning placed between the trees sparked a shiver in me. I didn’t want to go forward, but I knew I had to, because the hoofprints were there. I had a purpose, we had a purpose, follow the hoofprints.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I locked my arms around Sara's, resting my head on her shoulder. I was scared, the forest was scary. The shudders of trees synchronised together to form a sort of theatrical swaying. The botanically ambiguous leaves above us were used as platforms for the rain to land on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This caused only a few stray drops to bear down on our heads as we travelled through the jungle. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Spencer and Amaya were behind us, we could hear the sludge of their feet through the damp mud on the ground. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aubrie and Johnny were in front, Roberto and the back, Julia right in the lead, navigating first through the arboreal metropolis. The waft of her slashing knife against the leaves swiftly radiated back to us, the sound was clear even against the incessant spirals of rain crashing down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>We travelled for a while, no one spoke, everyone's heads down, staring at the hoofprints. They were big, bigger than my feet, the water didn’t dishevel them, they were still perfectly outlined. The delineated gaps and lines appeared almost hand-crafted, crafted by angels. Other than their size, there was also something strange about them, the pattern in which they constructed seemed off, one leg hoof, one right, one left, one right. I pondered for a while about it to pass time but I didn’t come to any conclusion, I suddenly remembered the futility of questioning this world. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The trek was long, slightly longer than the one I did the previous day, but it felt more important. This felt more necessary, We had to get here. The hoofprints led us to yet another hill. The Hill was a struggle, but we were determined to reach the top, the summit, the peak. Julia was at the top before all of us, she turned to face our direction. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>My eyes shifted from the hoofprints to her, I couldn’t see much, just the crevices of charcoal grey sky, the arboreal metropolis, and her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Only a little bit more, okay?’ Sara whispered into my ear. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Okay.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You don’t like to talk much do you?’ She nudged me.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I’m a bit out of breath.’ I was, but that was only a small factor in my limited ability to converse.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aubrie and Johnny were at the top, standing to the left and right of Julia. They were faced the other way, Julia was still looking down at us, eclipsing our view of the summit. But as we got higher, our view expanded. When we got to the top, Julia turned around and strutted forward. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>About twenty metres Before us was a temple. A grandiose temple with intricate vines slithering along the exterior. The beige colouring blended almost naturally with the greenery around it. Although the scintillation could not transcend the boundary of the green and beige colours, the architectural style of the mosaic patterns blanketing the temple was enough to make anyone enthralled. My eyesight was fairly blurred by the vindictive rain, but I could still see the vague outlines of the carved illustrations around the exterior. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The canopies now enclosed the sky, arched over the temple as if to protect it from the rain. Sara pulled me forward to follow Julia, Aubrie and Johnny just behind us now. I looked back, the others were here, all our mouths were agape in subliminal awe. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I didn’t know if Julia's was, but it felt more comforting to imagine hers was. She seemed to be distant from us, as though she was communicating telepathically to some form of higher power. She was always one step before us.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>To be there was to be in a strange type of paradise. I felt a conflict between two intangible dichotomous forces, one resisting me from continuing towards the temple, and another hauling me forward. I staggered along, dichotomously confined between the two. The conflict resonated with the internal division in my mind. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Should I go on?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Between two pillars inhabited a throne, an antiquated throne that I’m sure could’ve held religious significance to perhaps the Mayan's or Inca's in the old world. We continued up the steps slowly. The throne was made of stone, callous stone that you couldn’t sit on for a long time without being restless. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Julia rested her backside on the throne, her two hands pressed with salience on the throne's arms. </span>
</p>
<p><span>We took a step back, all of us did until we reached the grass with the carved hoofprints, vacating the temple. My mouth remained agape, now admiring not just the temple but it’s owner. Julia looked down at us with proprietorial authority. She swooped her head out of the coat hood. We could see her whole appearance, her impact. Above her was a plaque, was it there before? The plaque was carved with words that appeared like soft scars. The plaque read </span><em><span>Novum</span></em> <em><span>Hortis</span></em><span>.</span></p>
<p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <span>The new garden,’ Sara whispered into my ear. We were in the New Garden. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All seven of us hooked our eyes to the throne like some metaphysical chains were clamped on our contrived gaze.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On the throne sat our queen, the New Queen.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. As free as the grass grows</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em><b>The differentiation between surviving and living is one's opinion, just like success, just like importance, just like Morality. These all come under that metaphorical umbrella that is happiness, some may come more blatantly, some may come more scarce. But these elements all come under one's interpretation of happiness. Therefore, many people choose to dissect the spectrum of living and surviving via the clear interpretation that living is happiness, surviving is not. Living comes different to many people; gluttonous revelry, humility or even the act of surviving itself for, that may evoke happiness to an individual. Living comes in all shapes and sizes, happiness comes in all shapes and sizes, survival comes in all shapes and sizes.</b></em> <b><em>Morality comes in all shapes and sizes.</em></b></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘Now this feels like home,’ Julia chuckled. She stood up and looked down at the stone floor. She stamped the floor with her bare feet, the rain too heavy to hear the sound. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘It’s hollow! Come over!’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aubrie and Johnny raced over, the rest of us stood still. The three of them stomped over the stone for a good few seconds until Johnny gestured that the two women should shoo away. Eventually, the rest of us felt obliged to continue forward up the stairs again. This time the temple felt less intimidating for some reason, no intangible force pulling me back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Give me the knife,’ Johnny was kneeling down by the side of a distinguishable square in the stone floor, the colour was slightly more yellow-tinted. Julia passed him the knife, he jammed it between the thin cracks separating the yellow-tinted square from the other stone. The knife served as a fulcrum, lifting the square up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Some kind of trap door,’ Johnny said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘What the fuck is this place?’ Roberto asked behind me. No one answered but I didn’t think everyone knew, there was a look on Julia’s that said she knew but she didn’t feel like telling anyone. Johnny lifted the stone tab and gently placed it away to the side. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The ones that could see below were peering down at the newly discovered square-shaped hole. The drop looked short but not too short that you could easily step into.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Who’s gonna go down first?’ Johnny asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I will.’ Julia dangled her legs under in the hole, her arms firmly placed on the stone ground to hold her weight. Her drop was joined by a thud a few seconds later. She looked up at us from the hole grinning. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘It’s fine down here, a bit dusty, but fine.’ Her head looked down and forwards to the part of the hole that we couldn’t see yet. She disappeared from our field of view to walk forward into the ambiguous new underground. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You go next?’ Aubrie asked me.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Okay.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I was a few inches shorter than Julia so my descent into the unknown was aided by Aubrie’s hold, her arm gripped my hand and extended as long as it could go. I dropped and a similar thud occurred. I looked around, the underground was a rather long rectangular shape, almost like a tomb. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stone brick covered the interior, it was rather dark but the light beige colour of the brick made it bearable. Dust particles tickled my nose and floated on the water droplets rolled down my face. Moss and vines still somehow slithered through the walls, displacing the air spaces in many of the cracks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The centre of the tomb which took over the most space lived an almost cut-in-half sphere. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sphere had the flat side on top, the curved bottom phenomenally balancing on the stone ground. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It looked as though it could serve the purpose of a table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I sat cross-legged near the corner of the room, a few inches away from the hole in which the others dropped from. Whoever designed this structure must’ve had divine architectural skills, I thought. This was created by God Himself, of course.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Julia circled the table-like cut-in-half sphere, running her hands across the cobblestone stone surface like it was smooth marble.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Blimey.’ I heard Spencer's voice coming after his thud which came after his exasperated </span>
  <em>
    <span>hmph </span>
  </em>
  <span>from back up top.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>We all looked around the place then formed a circle on the circumference of the table-like sphere. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everything we seemed to do at this point was collective, like we were one unit, well except for Julia, she was always a few steps ahead. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Julia stood around the rear end of the circle, furthest from the square hole we dropped in from. Her hands, still pressed on the surface, spread across the circle. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘What is it?’ Amaya turned to Julia.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I don’t know, maybe he’ll tell us.’ She now stroked the surface in a circular motion, like a witch stirring a cauldron. The surface began to glow, scintillating spots appeared, these dots blossomed into tiny domes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Put your hands on the table, keep stirring,’ Julia ordered. We all copied her and eventually the once a group of tiny domes, was now merged into a big one like puzzle pieces. The dome and the table fitted together and formed a fully fitted sphere, the top half translucent with the opulent glow. It was like some sort’ve hologram from a science fiction film, I never was interested in sci-fi so I didn’t really know how they were made. I had a feeling that this wasn’t made with just pure science, no I was certain that it was made by God. Of course it was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cobblestone surface now resembled an ice covered land; with pint-sized people trekking across. I wasn’t surprised at this point why it was the exact image of my dream. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We had warnings.’ Everyone looked at Amaya as she spoke.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Delhi had the worst carbon emissions. I never really understood it much, I wasn’t a scientist.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘The amount of crap I found floating in the sea, sometimes no land in sight, pure water disturbed by a plastic bag or a toothbrush,’ Johnny sighed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Italian, last time I went Venice the water looked shit, foggy poo if you ask me.’ Spencer chuckled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Yeah, it was the tourists that did most of that.’ Roberto side-eyed Spencer, judgmentally.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Is this what the whole world is like? Everything ice?’ I looked at Julia. She seemed the most wise option.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I’m assuming so, don’t think these people will last long.’ She looked down. We all did in respect for our old home. Amaya gasped and slapped her hand over her mouth, tears once again spurting down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I refused to come to terms with the realisation that I would never see my family again, I decided to question why. To be honest, my mind was in disarray, I assumed that I would never see my family again, but I didn’t accept it. Questions just rushed up to my mind like a storm, questions that seemed to have lived in my visceral sub-conscious but hadn’t been able to show themselves until now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Why us? Why me? I was no genius, Why did he pick me? I conformed to no Biblical ideologies. In fact, my identity subverted many elements of the fundamental prism that was Christianity. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘This is a warning, a warning to us that we mustn't do what they did.’ Julia scanned all our faces. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We have to make a better world he wants us to.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘How do you know that for sure? I mean that guy could’ve just been spurting rubbish.’ Johnny’s eyes were slowly forming light tears, he didn’t want to show so he narrowed his eyes back down to the pint-sized people. They were walking, not running, walking, big coats, big boots. Who were they? Where were they? It didn’t really matter, all that mattered was the fact that they were surviving in the old world, we are living in the new one. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I just know, where did the hoofprints come from? It couldn’t have been just one man, no It was our father. We need to do God’s duty. His utopian vision.’ Julia said, emphatically.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘What makes us so special?’ Sara asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I’m not sure, I don’t know you enough to answer that.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I’m sorry but I don’t think I have ever touched a Bible and certainly must’ve gone against at least one commandment,’ Spencer laughed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘This isn’t a Christian God, this is a God in which the Christian God takes his credit. The old ones made that God, their ignorant minds. I wouldn’t be surprised if that God was made for the sole purpose of oppressing people.’ Julia's eyes still remained on the ice covered image of the old planet. ‘There probably isn't a heaven or a hell, the true god made life not to be as black and white as that.’ It seemed as though a strange type of epiphany flooded through Julia’s aura. I knew auras so I could tell when someone had shifted, before she was just an Aussie teacher, now she was a queen, no she was always a queen, but now she realised it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>God works in peculiar ways.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘How are we going to build up a new world?’ I asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘How did our predecessors do so? Look at the Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, they built civilisations, and if we are considered to be God's true chosen ones, then we can do it, but better.’ Aubrie positioned herself behind, she had the same stern look on her face that she had since we met her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You think there’s more people here, who might come along?’ Roberto turned to Johnny, asking Julia now became too repetitive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Probably,’ Johnny replied, bluntly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>We were transfixed by the intangible hologram-like image of the frozen wasteland that was once Earth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All eight of us staring into the metaphysical glowing dome intensely like we did previously  to the fire. Only this time, perhaps not prominent over the grief of our previous planet Earth, we had ambition in our eyes. Determination to be the catalysts of the first ever utopia, for our God.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘What are we going to do?’ I looked up to Julia again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We’re going to do what he wants us to do, make a new world.’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And so that’s what we intended on doing, the start of a civilisation. The council of the eight profits' first meeting was that day. All stood around the dome, looking down on God’s false descendants, we were the true ones.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The end of the underground room led to a ladder. A bamboo ladder that looked like it’s seen better days. It seemed rather out of place from the divine like atmosphere that had been conjured up for us.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I wasn’t confident in climbing, but everyone else did so I just went with it. Naturally, Julia went first, I heard a few concerning creaks but if it held Julia’s weight it would mine. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The ladder led to another square-shaped hole. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I realised that the volatility of the weather was something I’d have to become accustomed to. I’m British so It wasn’t too hard to get used to rain.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The hole was covered up by yet another stone tab. The top brought us to the back of the table, Steps leading us back to grass. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It felt obligatory to pause and admire the view once again. Behind the temple set a beautiful picturesque grass space. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The canopies were a little open but still fairly enclosed the area. The soft rush of water from the waterfall on the far side caressed my ears. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The water despite being a long distance away, beamed a charming gravitas that could easily beguile a person into happiness. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The thoughts of bereavement and melancholy seemed to have dissipated once we stepped onto the grass of The New Garden. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>We all seemed to be smiling now, smiles of joy and excitement. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sara took my hand and we trotted down the stone steps and skipped along the soft grass. Heart melting giggles from her rested on my cheeks. As I was </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>skipping along I could see the distinctive variety of trees on both sides, bamboo, California oak, bushes of pretty flowers, willows and much more that I didn’t know the name of. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Saccharine fruits clinging onto branches; lemons, mangoes, oranges, apples. Zooming past me I could see Roberto and Amaya, sprinting for the water. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sara tugged me forward as she also headed for the water, apertures of the now prominent sun, even through the trees, were now stroking her face as she smiled. As we ran, I could see shuffling deer leaping through the woods, monkeys swinging on vines. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I thought to myself so lucky to be one of them now: wild. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Because wild is living, before I wasn’t living because I wasn’t free. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Going to school everyday, studying for shit I had little interest in. Now I know what living is. The running exerted the little energy I had left, but it was worth it. I was no longer detached from that mundane life for a few days, I was detached from it forever.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The lake where the water dropped down from was large, larger than the one where the tiger was. The water somehow found a way to just be that little more prettier; an array of different colours compliment each other, swirling around the splashes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rocks carving the waterfall were large, sharp edges that looked fairly dangerous. But that was part of the fun, it represented adventure. They weren’t placed by angels, they were placed by God himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sara dropped in the water with me. It was fairly deep and I could just about stand upright. My head encircled by divine-like water as I dived under. Sara swimming above me, our hands still holding each other. I heard many splashes behind me, assuming the others jumped in as well. Sara pulled me up. I opened my eyes unsure of where we were, then realised we were enclosed in the waterfall, in the rock-shelter. I turned to look at the wall of rocks parallel to the crashing water. Despite the rock wall seeming fairly far away, they all felt rather idiosyncratic, I could identify their different cracks and sharp edges. The sharpest edges were staring straight at me as if they were big bulging eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I turned back to Sara. The sound of crashing water was silent now, nothing. Just her looking at me and me looking at her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She splashed water at me, some got in my eyes. I splashed some at the bowls of honey that were her eyes, She giggled. I giggled. Our giggles echoed. Our laughs gradually increased into hysterical laughter and our light splashes turned into whirlpools. She guided me back out where the others were, all eight of us screaming with ecstasy and chucking forceful quantities of the seraphic water across to one another. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The setting was idyllic, we were idyllic. I had good hopes for this new world.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>This was the area in which our little village would blossom. As days went on (I’m assuming so, the concept of time was rather lost on us at the start) we gathered more bamboo, leaves and other flora to create huts. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were circular, with a sturdy-ish structure, bamboo for roofs, walls and bed frames.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The huts were big enough to accommodate three people at most, I shared with Sara and Amaya. Julia and Johnny slept in the underground temple for a while then moved into a rather cleverly constructed treehouse near the top of the waterfall. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Julia naturally was our leader, our queen and so we all had to work together to build the canopy palace. We were all slightly envious of course, but she was our queen; we had to obey. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A rope ladder was formed with bamboo and the resources from the crazy man that would guide one to Julia’s and Johnny’s house. Not everyone was allowed in her house.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Some weren’t even allowed to knock as more people made their way to the Garden; it was only restricted to the council of the eight profits. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was discovered that the temple had a door, concealed by the opulent throne. The throne was relocated, with extreme hardship across through the temple and to the oak tree carved podium next to the waterfall. Johnny, Aubrie and Spencer had to lift it along, it took them around a day. How it was able to sit on the podium was beyond us. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Inside the temple was nothing, just hollow, vines somehow slithered in contrasting with the grey dust in the corners. The door to the temple was almost always opened, and the door to exit it and enter the garden was too. I never understood why God put nothing in it, placed the sphere underground for our meetings to occur there. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Why underground? It seemed more of the practical option to be on level ground. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>God works in peculiar ways.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There were guards on duty, a few of us had shifts at the entrance of the doorway. They would stand on the stairs with spears. Their job was to be on the lookout for predators, or other people like us.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Our village grew in population, God’s true descendants came from all over the world: Senegal, Barbados, Sri Lanka, Netherlands, Argentina and a lot more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Different types of people, nurses, zookeepers, journalists, graffiti artists, plumbers, chefs, everyone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were welcomed with courteous, but caution. The eight of us never admitted it to one another, but we did believe that we were better, and always questioned whether the newcomers could meet our standards. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The loss of their old world was always hard to explain, most of the time it finished with incessant crying and screeches for their loved ones; their daughters, sons, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers cousin, friends. But when they saw the garden, the natural bliss, their melancholy seemed to switch off just like ours. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It’s not our fault that our family wasn’t as special as us, as true as us. The newcomers realised they had to leave them behind. As time went on, it got difficult for us to be able to superficially examine a person's worth, whether they were truly one of us, an imposter, or an error. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course, we felt stupid to believe that God made errors. But it was possible that God was testing us, testing to see whether we knew who was a true descendant; the ignorant people from Earth or, devil’s spawn. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>We hadn’t planned what it would come to if someone didn’t conform to a true descendant, or we all had but didn’t say it to one another. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For me, I thought the result would end in death, it seemed the most fairest option. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The council of the eight profits were summoned by Julia, we would all go down to the underground temple, discuss certain issues, or queries and collectively assess a newcomer's value. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Julia summoned us all together to discuss a solution to this predicament as the amount of people coming in. More people found their way to The New Garden from wherever they woke up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The numbers began to increase, too many for us to welcome individually.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We have to think of something, like we can’t just let them all come in, but we can’t keep on interviewing people individually.’ Julia sat on the rear end of the half spherical stone table. The underground now had chairs, the chairs were made of (you guessed it!) bamboo. We sat around, all looking at each other, the turned dome that turned the table into a sphere wasn’t there, it would only pop up sometimes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Why don’t we just let them in, I mean c’mon it isn’t that deep.’ Spencer through his hands in the air. He was never one for these long meetings.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘What? We have to make sure they’re true like us, for all we know it could be God testing us.’ Amaya crossed her eyebrows, squishing together her eye makeup contrived of glistening fruit juices. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was my role to do everyone's makeup up, I did a good job of it too. I utilised all the tools I was given, and created a rather jungle-aesthetic style for the community.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I mean if they’re just completely useless bores then just kick them out, but they seem fairly normal.’ Spencer ran his vegetable dyed nails through his long blonde hair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even I couldn’t deny that it was a beautiful sight to see. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>We were all an extremely attractive community, so when newcomers came in it was hard to ignore the fact that some may not blend in as aesthetically as others. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Amaya’s right we can’t just do that.’ Julia locked her fingers together on the cobblestone surface. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We need to create some sort of assessment, fundamental attributes of God’s true descendants,’ Johnny declared. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Like a list?’ Roberto asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>To be honest, Roberto wasn’t much help in these meetings, I understood that he was young like me but all he did was ask questions, only so often the questions were useful. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Yes, sort of like a ten commandments thing maybe, a set of orders that every true descendant must attain,’ Aubrie nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘But what do we have that collectively? We are all relatively different people,’ I asked the group.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘He must’ve seen something in us, or we wouldn’t have been the first ones,’ Johnny replied.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>We all had our specific talents and therefore specific attributes, Johnny had art, formulating paint from natural dyes he had picked up on excursions. Amaya with her beautiful singing voice provided us with an array of different Punjabi songs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aubrie brought her physical expertise of being able to hunt, poach, climb, anything we needed she could do. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Roberto wasn’t particularly brains, but he and some others were considerably good at pottery, being to craft pretty vases, or clay chalices. Sara’s specialty was within creating as well, carving wooden earrings for everyone, they weren’t quite diamond jewels standards but they did progress as more resources were discovered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Spencer's expertise was never really defined, Julia said it must be visual, so we went along with that. Whatever Julia meant by visual was never really elaborated, but I didn’t care much about Spencer so I didn’t ask.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> My area was of course clothes and makeup, weaving flowery necklaces, grass skirts like in Hawaii. Straw woven sandals and straw woven bucket hats were popular. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Like everyone else, my skills improved as time went on. Julia didn’t really have a set specialty, her role was to create a perfect blend of order mixed with euphoric and opulent revelry. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Other people like Arabella the Dutch doctor were obviously extremely useful, but Julia was deemed as vital for the utopian vision. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was almost as if we thought ourselves invincible. Were we?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We have all made an input in the build up of the utopian vision, if they aren’t able or don’t want to fit into here then they can’t. If they become a liability then they aren’t true descendants,’ Sara told Julia. She nodded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We have to test them out, if they don’t have useful qualities like us then they simply aren’t important.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Maybe their divine qualities are in their kindness, maybe in their physical ability, their intellectual skills. These would be perfect genes for true babies. It should be judged on everything.’ Aubrie turned to Julia. We all nodded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The meeting lasted a while (again, the concept of time was very minimal). We came up with 7 rules which would later be carved on the temple walls by the crazy man's knife. Next to the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Novum Hortis</span>
  </em>
  <span> plaque, it wrote:</span>
</p>
<ol>
<li><em><span>One must have some unique talent which should be useful for the utopian vision.</span></em></li>
<li><em><span>One must have an attractive attribute that will appeal to a wide spectrum of people, whether that be physical appearance or mannerism or another.</span></em></li>
<li><em><span>One must be prepared to partake in the growing of the divine village for the utopian vision, expanding their sacred genetics by producing offspring.  </span></em></li>
<li><em><span>One mustn't have conformed to extreme biblical misconceptions in the previous world.</span></em></li>
<li><em><span>One mustn’t have had a key role in the diminishment of the previous world.</span></em></li>
<li><em><span>One mustn't believe their attributes are superior to others.</span></em></li>
<li><em><span>One must be diligent in and dedicated to building up the utopian vision.</span></em></li>
</ol>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I questioned myself frequently whether I conformed to these or not, I knew I must’ve, but still. </span>
  <span>One mustn’t believe their attributes are superior to others. </span>
  <span>I knew people thought that all eight of us believed we were superior. It was never blatantly stated, but we all knew what we thought about ourselves.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As more people came in, the village expanded, more huts were made, the council relocated to acquire more space, our house wasn’t much bigger than our hut but it certainly felt more luxurious. It was a tipi shape, reasonably hard to get up but the descending was always entertaining, swinging down from a rope to either dive in the lake or if you didn’t feel like it, land on the grass next to it. The trees grew higher than we realised, our house was at least 50 feet, not as high as Julia’s though. Hers made ours look pathetic as it’s balcony looked out on the top of the waterfall and the whole village.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Our leisure was spent with parties of course, adventures, jumping down waterfalls, swinging from vines, taking a casual ride across the river. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>These activities grew in excess as the village was built up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I was having the time of my life, which is ironic because this wasn’t technically my life, I was reborn. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Being able to dance, run and climb with people on the same level as me felt refreshing. I didn’t miss the old world, I didn’t miss the ignorant people at school who had to do every little thing to impress everyone even if it was at the expense of someone else. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I didn’t miss the teachers, who looked down upon me as if I wasn’t going to get anywhere, look where they are now. God was testing me, he knew I wouldn’t crack because I was built differently. That’s what I believed anyway. I had no sympathy for the old world and the weak humans that lived in it, we were having way too much fun. Everything was just divine.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But one day that all seemed to change.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The river was beautiful, the soft sound of water was like music to my ear. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Julia, Johnny, Sara and I were flowing through the river on the bamboo raft, stirred by Taiga Saotome with an oar made from a tree branch. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was the one that navigated through most of the rivulet journeys. He was a very clever man, good sense of direction when it came to water. He took a shine to Sara, they were similar ages. I admired him, but was of course jealous, he was very good looking with thick brown hair. Taiga was mostly our server, he and others’  jobs would consist of mostly holding palm leaves over our heads to protect us from the sun, giving any coconuts they could see dangling from protruding branches. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I wasn’t crazy for coconut water, but it was still a beverage so I was content. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a hot day, but the grapes that we were fed seemed to cool me down a little. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>We were more or less royalty, if royalty could even be in divinity. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alexandra the mixologist from France was waving the palm leaves in my face to form a breeze, I sat cross legged at the front of the raft. Her kneeling prostration made me feel like she was worshipping me, as if she wasn’t a chosen one herself. The sun’s apertures bear down on me even through the palm leaves. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sara sat beside me smiling up at Taiga as he stood flowing the wooden oar softly through the water. Sara and Johnny lay behind us, their eyes closed, presumably sunbathing but their mouths open to allow the drops of the saccharine grapes or the coconut water. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t official that they were together, but it was just assumed, they spent a lot of time together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Did you ever see the pink dolphins from the Amazon?’ Taiga asked Sara.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I don’t believe I have,’ Sara said, chirpily. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We might see some today.’ He smiled down at her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I rolled my eyes, they couldn’t see through my sunglasses (kindly gifted to me by Alexandra). </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I did admire Taiga as I said, but he also annoyed me, the reason for the latter was his impression on my Sara. She must’ve notice my silence and turned to me,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Have you seen the pink dolphins Milly?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Yeah, Everyone has,’ I muttered. I’m pretty sure she heard me, her face remained friendly but perplexed at my reaction, not interested enough to continue with the conversation though, so she turned back to Taiga. Her hair was short now, like mine, we both cut it together. Hers was a bit shorter though, chocolate-brown waves only reached her ears, my hair was around the length of two fingers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her straw woven bucket hat completely covered her hair, she was still gorgeous nonetheless. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The day was intended for tranquil relaxation, but things always change. My feet dangled into the water, cool and soft touches washed over me.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Be careful you don’t get bitten, anything could come up and chop off your feet.’ Taiga’s voice seemed like white noise, I zoned out for a while. My eyes closed and head up in the air. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Having my quintessential main character moment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I could feel the flow of water tackle between my toes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, the feeling felt more strong, forcing, almost stinging. I shot my eyes up, peered down at the water. It was changing in colour, an eminent concentration of almost molten gold. Fizzing bubbles deriving from where my toes were. I kicked my legs up, out of the water in confusion. The water was now fizzing, effervescing fruity fragrances. Taiga pulled the oar out,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘What the fuck?’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The concentration of the strange gold substance increased and surrounded our raft. Can gold even become a liquid? Fuck knows. I’m not a scientist. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Except the substances looked too delicate to be gold, too pretty with the odd bubbles. Sara’s curiosity led to the tip of her nose hovering over the alien liquid. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Smells lovely.’ She dropped her index finger on the surface.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Be careful Sara.’ Taiga bent down beside her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her face scrunched up, perplexed then relaxed, a nice reposeful expression now appeared.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘It’s champagne!’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alexandra gasped, dropped the palm leaf and cupped her hands with the alien liquid, she sipped like a kitten drinking milk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Oh my! It is!’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>We all turned to Julia and Johnny. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Julia! Julia look! Your majesty.’ Alexandra cried, she ran across, causing an up and down rock on the raft. Julia’s head popped up, her eyes also concealed by sunglasses. Julia sipped from Alexandra’s presumably sweaty hands. I assumed her nonchalant face was a façade covering her true amusement. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Is it really?’ Johnny asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Tastes like it,’ Julia said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny laughed then ducked his head on the side of the river in a forceful motion that almost tipped the raft over. He stayed down for a few seconds, then shot up, his hair flicked up majestically, yellow sparkles encrusted in his moustache.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Fucking hell,’ spurts of liquid bursting out his mouth as he smiled. ‘Just when I thought this place couldn’t get any better.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sara held my wrist. ‘What happened?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I don’t know, I just dipped my feet in and this just all kind of fizzed up.’ I threw my hands in the air, emphasising my confusion. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘How did you do that?’ I heard Julia’s voice behind me. I turned around, She was standing above me, her eyes still ambiguous over her glasses. It was difficult to understand one's tone when you can’t see their eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I don’t know, that’s never happened before.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Could you do that again?’ Julia bent down beside me and dipped her finger in the water and licked it coyly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I don’t know.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Taiga take us back please.’ She ordered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Yes ma'am.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The champagne seemed to have dissipated slightly as my feet remained on the raft, the water becoming more dilute again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Taiga stirred us back in the direction of the village with slight urgency. We jumped off at the docking area, leaving many grapes and coconut shells for Taiga and Alexandra to pick up. Julia clasped my wrist as we charged through the trees. The river wasn’t far from the village so we were able to get back swiftly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>We all became accustomed to the perennial rush of water from the waterfall, it was the sound of home. As we walked through the centre of the village, everyone stared at us with surprised expressions. These faces were almost always on the villagers' faces when Julia visited the village (sometimes even a few bow of admiration), she never really had interest in mingling with the land dwellers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Obviously she would never admit that, but it was very much true. We halted at the edge of the waterfall lake at the end of the village. Julia pulled me down. We were on our knees before the subliminal waterfall, staring up at it hurt my neck. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Julia nudged my shoulder, scanned her eyes from me to the surface of the water. I did the same, my reflection glaring back at me. We both cupped our hands and descended them into the water like a majestic dolphin pod.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The water wasn’t dissimilar from the water from the lake, same refreshing feeling. I gulped in anticipation, hoping I won’t disappoint Julia. There began to be a crowd forming behind us as our hands remained in the still remaining water. I sighed. Julia let out a sigh too. She looked at me.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Worth a shot.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I nodded. Just as I lifted my fingertips out the surface, I smelt the potent fragrance of cloying grapes. I looked at my hands, stained with maroon red. I retreated my fingers back under the surface forcefully, causing a splash in which caught Julia’s attention again. The water darkened, flooded my cupped hands once again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Julia copied me, the same dark substance in her hands, it was wine. Red wine, I could smell it. The pure dichotomy between bitter and sweet that only prestige red wine obtained trickled down my throat as I sipped. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I could hear the gasps behind me as they stared down at the once clear water, now red wine. I could hear multiple people drop beside me, presumably trying the skills themselves, I couldn’t see with my eyes closed in contentment. It was delicious. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I could hear the brazen scooping, sipping and </span>
  <em>
    <span>mmm</span>
  </em>
  <span><em>s</em> by the people around me.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘How did this happen?’ The voice sounded like Emil the fisherman. I opened my eyes and turned to him beside me. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I don’t know I just dipped my feet in and champagne was made.’ I looked down and saw his hand was full of a sparkling yellow liquid, cider maybe.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Julia stood up and turned around, at the wondering crowd.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘We have wine everyone! God has given us wine!’ She lifted her hands in the air, long trickles of red dripped down her arm causing pink stains.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Why?’ Someone from the crowd asked, their voice not distinguishable enough to know who.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘God wants to give us wine so we should accept it and embrace it. He wants a party so we're going to have a party.’ Julia Chucked what was left in her hands to the crowd. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I could see the desperation in their faces as they extended their tongues, trampled over people, just to get a drop. A cheer was projected through the village, then everyone scurried to the edge of the lake, trying to reach the lake's surface as if we were in the desert and found an oasis. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I stood back watching them tumble in, ducking their heads under, splashes fountaining up and down from their kneeling bodies. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The things people do for alcohol.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>That night was the zenith of all our extravagant parties, considering we had such short notice. I was in charge of the makeup as usual. I used malachite powder for most people, it might not have been malachite. Something else maybe, I’m not a scientist. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dried leaves were used to colour nails, mango juice for lips. Juice was always going to rub off once people dived into the lake, jumped from the waterfalls, swung through the ‘party vines’, but it was fun to have glistening lips even for a bit.  Aloe Vera was used for gelling hair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sunset radiated a peachy orange tone through the jungle that reflected our glamorous excitement. Our euphoric dancing synchronized with the bands beauteous playing of their hand crafted instruments. Cleverly made traditional drums banged to our steps, splashes, swinging and sways. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>We spent the night drinking and dancing, being able to fill up was hard seeing as though we didn’t really choose what form of booze we got, but it was still better than nothing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> I could only seem to produce red wine that evening, which was fine because I assumed I was over 18 by then. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I didn’t drink a lot, danced with the crowd for a bit, then sat on my own. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sara was with Taiga, dancing together close enough to make me jealous. I sat on the grass for a while to the side of the party, cross legged, my head leading on my wrist. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I could view everyone, dancing, chucking beverages, coconuts and apples up in the air. I was  barely able to listen to Amaya’s singing over the incessant screeching, common in parties. Sara wrapped her arms around Taiga as they skipped around the edges of the waterfall lake. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It annoyed me how happy she looked, I Understood that this was paradise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I understood that we were special. But why did I start to feel isolated? Dare I say it, lonely?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I could see Julia sitting on her throne, overseeing the party, her face stayed nonchalant but with a slight smirk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This discovery was a big gift that God wanted us to have, but I was the first one to do it. Did that mean something? Were there people who couldn’t do it? If so, they wouldn't tell anyone.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I heard the rustling behind me, the friction between straw sandals and grass got louder and louder. I turned around, it was Roberto. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I assumed by his abashed expression that he had just gone to the toilet; big parties like these caused long queues for the public toilet huts, so it was best for most people to just go to a secluded area and dig a hole. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sat down next to me, I didn't gesture for him to do so but he did it anyway. I didn’t mind. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You not dancing?’ He asked me.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You’re not washing your hands?’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Haha, I mean it’s kinda difficult to do it now, I’ll get round to it though don’t worry.’ He replied, still abashed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I grimaced. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Assuming you wouldn’t want to dance with me?’ He said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I shook my head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Assuming you don’t want to dance with many men?’ He raised his eyebrows, curious.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I made eye contact with him for a good few seconds then looked down at my fidgeting sunburnt fingers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘That’s okay, you think Sara knows?’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Probably, don’t think she would care.’ I told him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘What about Julia?’ He tapped his fingers together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I don’t know about her.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You think she’ll be okay with it?’ He said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Why wouldn’t she? None of them shouldn't believe in Biblical misconceptions like the other humans did?’ I whispered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I know, but not believing one is superior to another was one.’ he shuffled laterally to get closer so he could whisper, ‘Look at her, look up at where we live, you really don’t think she is superior?’ He shuffled back. His breath smelt of fish. The puffs were still lingering under my nose. ‘They say they don't believe in the crap that some of the old people believed in, but the old humans also believed in a superiority complex. Some are deemed better here, more useful.’ Roberto looked at me with an informative expression, but his eyes filled with foreboding anxiety.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘I’m going to get something to drink, I’ll see you.’ I stood up and ruffled my pleated skirt, I had a chance to sew it back together with straw earlier in the evening for the special occasion. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Hey, could you get me a drink? I haven’t been able to do the thing yet, like turn the water. And well, I don’t know how they will react if they see I can’t do it when I wash my hands Haha.’ He was smiling but his eyes looked worried, if he genuinely wouldn’t know how they would react. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I squeezed through the dancing crowd, a rather exerting activity. A few splashes of juice, champagne, cava, landed on my cheeks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I bumped into a few dancers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I fell into Myra, the kind lady and fellow Brit who feeds the monkeys, arms. ‘You alright Love?’ She balanced me. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Yeah, just getting some water.’ I weaved through the crowd. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The vivacious swaying of bodies made me dizzy, the heat added on to my dehydration.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I was able to reach the lake with no major casualties. I nudged through the kneeling bodies, their heads fully submerged in the lake. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I was able to dodge the jumpers splashing through the surface from the bouldering rocks that shaped the waterfall. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The music, the screaming, the banging, the jumping, the slurping. Everyone was a bit too much. I descended under the transforming water, past the crashing fall, till I emerged back up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I was on the other side of the fall now, the place where silence still existed. The last time I was there was the first day we found the garden, the jovial splashing of water at each other like two kids. The first day we realised we were God’s true descendants.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I looked up and saw the interior of the rock-shelter. Coarse materials joined together to create an arched shape design. Almost like, of course, a cave. Stalactites and stalagmites were present of course. I wasn’t really interested in the stalagmites, since I got there I became more of a stalactites girl. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As I swam through, the water got shallower and shallower, I was able to stand up. The crashing water that separated me from the party illuminated a neon blue tone through the rock shelter, so I could see my surroundings with ease. I felt a lot less stressed here, more relaxed, it was nice and cool. As I reached the rear end of the rock shelter, I noticed a bodacious, pale blue crystal jammed through the rough rocks that made up the rear wall. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The shades shifted continuously: pale blue, neon blue, dark blue. I raised my hands to touch it, noticing once again the red stains on my hands, I made wine again. I pressed my fingers on the sharp tip, it pricked me. ‘Ow!’ I exclaimed. It echoed through the rock-shelter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The blood blended with the wine, formulated by my divine hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You shouldn’t touch it, I tried, it hurts.’ A voice whispered to me, it didn’t echo but it did make me jump. I turned around, no one was there. I had no sense of where the voice came from, it wasn’t recognisable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Huh, what?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Look here.’ I jolted my head back to the crystal. Leaned in closer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All I could see was one singular eye. I assumed it was a dark brown eye, but it was hard to tell over the ever-changing shade of blue filter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘W-what are you?’ I said, eyes widened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Well, I’m Nadia,’ The eye told me.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Okay.’ I noticed a slight accent in their voice, I hadn’t heard an accent that wasn’t London for a long time so I couldn’t detect where it was from.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You not gonna say your name?’  The eye seemed to narrow in disappointment at my lack of courteous introduction.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Sorry, I’m Emily, you can just like, call me Em or something I don’t really care,’ I told the eye. ‘So, like a crystal called Nadia, that’s fun.’ I didn’t really know what to say, I never realised how awkward talking to a rock is.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I’m not a crystal, I’m a person, but you can only see me through the crystal I think’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Okay. Why can I do that then?’ I asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I don’t know, I found it on the floor, it looked a lot brighter than the ice.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Ice?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Well, Yeah, nothing but ice and snow now.’ The eye looked like a sad eye, a sad eye that needs a hug. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But I couldn’t hug the eye because it was the eye of the ignorant and the weak. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nadia was from Earth, the world of degradation. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You’re from Earth?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Yeah, born in Manchester. Where are you from?’ The Northern accent all came flooding back to me, how much I didn’t like it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Novum Hortis.’ I told her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Where’s that?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘A place with people who are far smarter than Earthlings.’  I pushed my eye up close to the crystal, If I moved a bit closer blood would be pouring out my sockets. ‘I’m like really smart.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You sound it.’ The eye replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Do you not think that it’s a  lil’ sus that you can talk through a rock?’ I asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Not really, strange stuff happens. I’m just lucky I have something.’ The eye seemed to be smirking, I never seen just one eye smirking before but if one eye had to smirk this would be a prime example.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> ‘Are you not suspicious?’ The eye asked me, curiously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘No because I’m smarter than you remember.’ I was now smirking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Oh, apologies.’ The eye now narrowed. ‘So this is normal for you?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Not really, but I am aware that things like this can happen,’ I replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Cool.’ The eye said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Okay.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘If you’re like, really smart, I’m assuming you know what’s happening on Earth.’ The eye narrowed again and looked at me earnestly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Yeah, you guys are fucked,’ I laughed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Yeah.’ The eye looked down again, sad, sad eye.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Our people send our condolences.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Is that it? You got no spaceships or sumn'?’ The eye asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘No, we’re not those types of things.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The concept of time popped into my head as I was thinking about how long I’ve been talking to Nadia the eye. ‘May I ask, How long have you guys been like this?’ </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘Around two years, but everything sort of froze in just one week, my dad says the devil works fast.’ The eye was now looking apathetic, a blank canvas.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The devil works fast</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>My eyes opened wider than I thought biologically possible. I was shocked, but more shocked at the anger that sentence sparked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>How dare they? How dare they blame the devil for their wrath, pride, covetousness, lust, pride, gluttony and envy. I wasn’t Christian, but these were sins pervasively committed in the world of the ignorant weaklings. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was their fault, not the bloody devil. How dare they shift the blame.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘The Devil wouldn’t waste their time on you. This is your fault, tell your father that.’ </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘He can’t seem to listen to anyone that doesn’t have a Bible in their hands. He says that God will come down, judgement day is coming. He’s always been religious, but after the final freezing he’s gotten worse. Everyone is. We have to pray, pray to ice as if God will magically crack through. I don’t want to, but everyone says we have to now. I think it’s stupid.’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I was rather flabbergasted with the sudden spool of her life story, one that I didn’t really care about. I’m not a psychiatrist, nor a scientist.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Tell em’ there’s no point, he’s not gonna come for you.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I know.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Good I should go, I’ll be back soon.’ I turned back to the crystal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Okay,’ She said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Okay.’ I didn’t know what else to say. I turned around, the perpetual motion of the waterfall, continued, separating me from the party, the others. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I swished back through the- well I don’t even know anymore, water I guess. My knuckles skimmed the surface then got deeper and deeper till I was swimming. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I swam past the waterfall, back into the lake. Hooligans widening their mouths to gulp as much alcohol as possible. I was tired, and confused. I couldn’t bear having to squish through the crowd again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Conveniently I didn’t have to, the partying stopped, the crowd was silent, listening to the blow of the Shankha shell. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Julia stood up from her throne. Everyone directed their gaze at her, stopping their revelry mid-motion. I was able to scurry through the congested lake to reach the grass again. I had a better view of her and most importantly, I was close to the ladder of my home. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘My brothers, sisters, all of God’s true children, We must celebrate this new gift, be thankful. But also take pride in our excellence, for if it wasn’t for our good work, he wouldn’t grant us this luxury.’ She lifted her wooden chalice in the air. Everyone else did the same, followed by our uni-voice cheer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I started for the ladder, hoping no one would see my absence from the party. The one thing I hated about my house was the effort to climb up it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a long day of partying, swimming, weaving, I felt too tired to have to climb up such long heights. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But it was always nice when I reached the top, a view of the incredible garden. The lit torch fires from the ground projected the beauteous setting. Colourful birds soaring through the canopies, monkeys swinging, the distant volcanoes subliminal presence. Distinct variety of different leaves and fruits. It was beautiful, I was lucky to be there. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I didn’t really take in the view as great as I usually would, I had something on my mind. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What the hell was that? What is happening in the old world? Underwater world? The Devil works fast? Ignorant weaklings.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I opened my door, we hadn’t made locks, we didn’t think we’d need to because God’s true descendants don’t have time to steal from other people. We worked as a union, everyone shared everything, well that was what we thought anyway. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I collapsed on my bamboo bed covered with palm leaves and a straw pillow. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I went to sleep hearing the chanting and the screamers from the party: ‘In God we trust, for God we will thrive!’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I mouthed it in sync with them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I didn’t realise I was doing it because in my conscious mind, the same words were repeating over and over again:</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The devil works fast.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Peaches and cream</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I seemed to be the first one to wake up in my house, Amaya and Sara evidently stayed up late after the party. I figured we would have a meeting about the whole water thing, but the novelty was now kind of washed over me, all I really wanted to do was go back to the waterfall and talk to Nadia. <br/>I tiptoed across, the floorboards, California oak creaked a lot more than I thought. Luckily no one heard me. I figured that if I was back home this would’ve been the equivalent of sneaking out late at night to go to a party. <br/>I never had to do that, I couldn’t be bothered to attend any parties on Earth.<br/>I climbed down the ladder, pausing to watch the circumference of the sun piercing through the horizon. It was beautiful of course, but I saw beautiful things almost every day so it wasn’t that big of a deal. Nice to look at though once just awoken. <br/>The precarious swinging off the rope and landing in the waterfall seemed a quicker option but more precarious, I didn’t want to die with unanswered questions.<br/>Plus, the splash would spark attention.<br/>I Tiptoed between the trees, weaving around the huts, making sure no one could see me. The lake water was cold, but tolerable. I dived deep under the water, rolled my eyes when my hands seemed to formulate some type of gin. <br/>I didn’t like gin, but could easily identify the taste. <br/>It flowed into my mouth as I swam. It was disgusting. I emerged once I passed the crashing water. I was back in the rock-shelter. I continued to swim till I reached the crystal again. <br/>Still ever-changing shades of blue.<br/>‘I’m back, ' I whispered. ‘Hello?’ <br/>It suddenly came to me that I may have been drunk, hallucinating all this nonsense. Just as I turned away I heard a reply, the same northern accent. <br/>‘Hi.’ <br/>I grinned. I had many questions I wanted to and needed to ask. This was going to be good. I turned around to see the same presumably brown eye. <br/>I cleared my throat ‘As much I have better things to do than talk to an Earthling, I do have a few questions for you. Is that okay?’ I raised my eyebrow.<br/>‘Sure.’</p>
<p> </p>
<p>‘Good, my kind is very intelligent, don’t get me wrong, but we know little about other beings, for we have had little interest in them until now. So, who is your God?’<br/>‘God is just God, I don’t know. If I’m being completely honest I don’t think he gives much of a shit about us anymore.’<br/>‘Oh shame.’ I said, rather sardonically. ‘Why do you think he doesn’t care about you anymore?’<br/>‘Because the worlds gone to shit.’<br/>‘Yeah, but why?’<br/>‘Because we’re not very nice people.’<br/>‘Figures.’<br/>‘If I’m going to be completely honest, Nadia the eye, I’d advise you not to take much notice of what the Bible says, okay?’ I winked, kind of like a, I know something you don’t know, type of way.<br/>‘Well, I’m not really spoilt for choice, it’s the only book we have. The rest have been burnt, for fires.’<br/>‘Interesting.’ I said. ‘Do you still have, furry things there?’<br/>‘Yeah, not a lot though, most of the cats and shit froze over the ice. You know what cats are?’ <br/>‘Yeah.’ I felt sad hearing that, but then I remembered my world had cats and shit so I was less sad.<br/>‘Anymore questions you need from me?’<br/>‘Hmm no, my research seems complete.’ I laughed.<br/>‘Good, can I ask you one?’<br/>‘Sure.’ I said.<br/>‘Is God real?’<br/>I paused for a minute, not sure how to answer. ‘Yeah.’ I said, one word answers are always good for such ruminant questions.<br/>‘Has he abandoned us?’ The eye now had some odd twinkle of hope, as if she was waiting for me to say no.<br/>‘He’s focusing on us right now,’ I said.<br/>The eye seemed to sigh, I was unaware of the weight eyes held in everyday expressions. Eyes could sigh, smile, smirk, snarl, grimace.<br/>‘I don’t blame him. We wrecked this place. He gave us the world as a gift, and we polluted it. We caused global warming, climate change, thermal expansion of the oceans or some shit. I don’t know, I’m not a scientist. ’ She paused for a bit. ‘A'ight I should go. I’ll come back though, will you?’<br/>I didn’t answer, but I knew I would. I found it strange that I was the one asking the questions, I was asking questions about a world I lived in for 17 years. She seemed disinterested in my world, Novum Hortis. <br/>She probably doesn’t think I’m real, she thinks she’s going insane. That whole world is going insane.<br/>I thought it best not to tell anyone about the discovery of Nadia, just to make things easier. If I tell people, questions would be asked, questions that not everyone could answer. This would lead to conflict. It’s best for a society to believe everyone knows everything that they need to, even if that’s not true. </p>
<p>I was met with Amaya as I climbed out the lake. I looked up at her, hoping she wouldn’t ask too many questions, because like I said before, that sparks conflict. <br/>But of course she did:<br/>‘What are you doing? Waking up so early?’ She looked down at me, frowning.<br/>‘I don’t know, just a morning swim and quick drink I guess Haha,’ I giggled.<br/>She giggled too, ‘Understandable.’<br/>‘Pretty sure we have a meeting so if I were you I’d get dry.’ <br/>‘Okay,’ I said.<br/>I couldn’t be bothered to get dry, the weather is always warm so I’d dry soon. I started heading for the trees for some fruit picking, then I stopped. <br/>‘What God do you think is up there?’ I Turned around to face her. <br/>‘Does it really matter?’ She raised an eyebrow then smiled, a kind of surprised but trying not to be surprised smile, ‘As long as he knows what he’s doing, then it’s fine.’<br/>‘What Gods did you believe in back at Earth?’<br/>Her eyes widened, her mouth agape then shut then open again, ‘Erm, honey we shouldn’t really be talking about this, we’ll talk later okay? Let’s get something to eat.’ She whispered while walking up to me and took my hand hastily. </p>
<p>We spent the morning fruit picking deeper in the trees. The place was fairly secluded, very quiet, we were surrounded by apple trees, cherry trees, orange trees, banana trees. It wasn’t uncommon to see a few lemurs jovially leaping through the canopies, swinging down to mischievously snatch the fruits from our hands.<br/> It was just us two, Amaya led us here. She used her straw woven bucket hat as a carrier for the fruit. There wasn’t much talking, just us picking fruits, the newly risen sun still finding its way to bear down on me even through the crevices of the canopies.<br/>She tapped my bronze coloured arm. I looked up at her, she looked at me with serious eyes. </p>
<p>‘I don’t think anyone would really be happy with us questioning God’s existence, who he is, what<br/>we believed. We should keep those questions to ourselves. Even if you do think them, God won’t mind, because he loves us, but other people may.’ Her tapping of my hand turned into a squeeze, an almost plea. <br/>‘Okay,’ I said.<br/>‘Do you think Julia should be queen?’ I asked, the words just escaping my mouth, no whispering, no mouthing, pure words just leaving my mouth as if I was unaware of the consequences. <br/>‘Don’t ask me things like that.’ She shook her head, I couldn’t tell whether she was shaking her head in disappointment or to what I said. <br/>I didn’t really understand what she was worried about, God had our plan for us. Her cautious personality was maybe the reason for God choosing her, sort’ve an endearing quality, I thought.<br/>‘Sorry,’ I said. <br/>‘It’s okay.’ she smiled and held my hand while the other one extended to reach a peach on a high branch. I liked Amaya, she was kind, Sara was kind but in a more superficial sense of the word, Amaya was more genuinely kind. She wanted to make sure everyone was okay.<br/>‘My family were Hindu but as I got older I kind of moved away from religion. All I really cared about near the end was my singing, nothing else.’ She dropped the peach in her straw woven bucket hat. She stared down at the collection of peaches we picked, her smile fading.  <br/>‘I don’t blame you, your voice is beautiful.’ I locked my arm around hers. ‘Let’s go roomie.’ <br/>I smiled at her. She began to smile back. <br/>We walked through the fruit trees back to the village. The walk was pleasant, I felt closer to Amaya, which was weird because we lived together for a while prior. </p>
<p>We returned to the village near the middle of the day. The vibrant sun apertures welcoming us. The usual people were out, Marcel roasting some kind of meat over a fire. Antoinette the devout animal rights activist covering Ali the village's boar pet from having to see the remnants of his possible friend burning. <br/>There were a few people sitting under the woven yurt planted near the centre of the garden. Their faces looked knackered, staying up all night partying after the discovery of our new divine ability. <br/>‘Let’s go eat,’ Amaya said. <br/>She tugged me forward to head for the yurt, to be completely honest, I couldn’t be bothered to make small talk with people I barely knew. All I really wanted to do was go back to Nadia, ask her more questions. <br/>We sat down on the log-made seats with the crowd. Amaya stood up and passed around the fruits we picked. Sitting down was Taiga, Alexandra, Aegir and a few other people I recognised but couldn’t think of their names. I didn’t really bother making friends when new people came along. I knew Aegir, he was the Norwegian wildlife conservationist based in Svalbard, he told us stories of his Polar Bear encounters. I liked him, he was possibly one of the oldest men, I’d guess 41. <br/>‘Thank you girls these ones look good!’ Aegir said.<br/>‘Yeah, ripe this time.’ Taiga stuffed the grapes in his mouth like he forgot what grapes taste like.<br/>‘Last night was exciting, right?’ Alexandra asked the circle.<br/>‘You think we could make cocktails out of these Alex?’ Aegir asked.<br/>‘Don’t see why not,’ Alexandra laughed, the whole crowd laughed. <br/>I didn’t. I didn’t really see what was funny.<br/>‘You have any stories for us Aegir?’ I asked.<br/>‘Not any on the top of my head, kid. Sorry.’ He smiled at me. ‘It’s weird to think that they are not alive anymore,’ His smile dropped to apathy thento melancholy.<br/>‘What do you mean?’ I moved to sit next to him.<br/>‘My bears, I spent most of my life dedicated to making sure they’re okay only for them to be forgotten about.’ He tried to smile again with a short and meaningless laugh.<br/>‘What was your favourite one called?’ Amaya asked.<br/>‘Ursie, I liked Ursie.’ He said.<br/>‘We’ll call one of the monkeys Ursie,’ Amaya patted him on the shoulder. All of us nodded in agreement. <br/>‘Yeah sure,’ Aegir shrugged. He began to look down, his face darkened to sadness again and rested.</p>
<p>Everyone fell in silence for a while, Aegir’s morose aura seemed to be contagious.<br/>I began to realise how boring it is building up a utopian world. This was something that I would never tell anyone, but I missed Earth deeply. Everything seemed so artificial in this place, everything so fake, the rules made little sense. <br/>Like everyone must have an attractive attribute? Bull shit. How the fuck does that make you special. You can dress how you want but you have to be attractive? We believe that we are better than other humans, but all of us are equal? Makes no sense.</p>
<p>I zoned out for a while, having my internal existential crisis. Looking down at the sunburnt toes protruding from my sandals, feeling distant from the world around me, from the people, from my role, from the utopian vision. <br/>I couldn’t hear anything, just my thoughts, looking retrospectively at the things that Nadia told me, the things Amaya said we shouldn’t do, dipping my feet in the river, champagne. The crystal, the champagne, the peaches. The stalactites, the snake, the tiger, the hoofprints, the crystal, the champagne, the peaches. The hoofprints: they’re gone. Where did they go? The peaches: deliciously ripe, but there are things I’m not allowed to say apparently, is there liberation in the utopian vision? The crystal: Nadia, I had to get back there and ask questions, maybe find a way to go back? No, I can’t. Can I? What does God want? What do I want?</p>
<p>My eyes fixated solely on my sunburnt toes, couldn’t even see the grass around me. My head didn’t look up at the others around me, my fingers didn’t even twitch, just staring down at my sunburnt toes. <br/>I was unaware of the disruption around me. <br/>I couldn’t hear the scream, I didn’t shoot up like the others did, I didn’t turn to where the screaming originated from. I was completely aloof.<br/>Once I looked up I realised that everyone was gone. I began to get worried, I stood up. I couldn’t hear anything, nothing, no one was around me. It was just me, the vacant log-seats, and the yurt. It was raining, I think, really badly. Some dripped on my head, finding its way through the gaps of the straw roof. I turned around and saw from a distance the gap in the trees in which the others ran to. Appearing from it was Spencer and Aubrie, Amaya and Alexandra crowding around them. Aubrie had her arm around Spencer, she seemed to be staggering, I couldn’t see her face distinctly but I saw red. A lot of red on her chest. It took me a few moments to process it, she had been hurt, it took me another few moments to remember that when someone is hurt, it is obligatory to run towards them. So I did.<br/>The sludging of damp grass brushed my shins as I ran. I could see her face more clearly, she was weeping. I never thought I’d see her weep, or even change her expression to such an extreme degree as this. <br/>‘She needs the nurses, where’s Diane?’ Spencer darted his eyes around us.<br/>‘I don’t know, take her to the medic hut.’ I began to scan downwards, and saw a gaping hole of blood where her arm used to be. I scanned Aubrie’s arm around Spencer, it too was not much of an arm anymore. Blood dripping down Spencer’s bare chest. <br/>‘Can we have some space please!’ He charged through the curious crowd of people leaving their homes to see the ruckus, and headed for the medic hut. <br/>I felt a tap on my shoulder, I turned around and it was Sara.<br/>‘What the fuck happened?’<br/>‘I don’t know, her hands have come off.’ <br/>‘How the fuck did that happen?!’ She clasped her hands on my shoulders. <br/>I shrugged.<br/>I felt like I was going to pass out, the blood made me sick, everything, Sara shaking me, the rain, the humidity, it all pulled me down like anchors and chains. <br/>All I could see now was black, plain black. Silence again, I couldn’t even hear my thoughts. It was oddly comforting. <br/>But it didn’t last long.</p>
<p> I was back, back in the frozen wasteland, only this time I could feel the cold, feel the icy blasts. I was running again, I don’t know why, whether I was running to something or from. This time I was holding someone's hand now, I couldn’t see who, my head didn’t rotate, just kept on heading for the horizon. I was running on ice, but heard no cracks, nothing. I was running fine, no wind, nothing, it was a perfect stride. But I slipped, my hand was no longer holding another, I fell and skidded along the ice, I could feel the acrimonious sting causing friction with my palms. It was horrible, I began to cry, but I wasn’t crying, I couldn’t cry, but I felt like crying. <br/>I couldn’t stop skidding, I was pretty certain that I was defying some form of Physics law, but physics didn’t really exist for me anymore, for anyone. Well it did but it was ours and God’s physics, not mere Earthling ones. My nose felt runny, but it didn’t at the same time. <br/>All there was around me was just ice, touching the grey sky at the horizon. I heard a scream, but I didn’t know where from, just a pervasive scream. It was horrible, the screaming continued, it seemed to be fuelling my skidding across the ice. The screaming turned to weeping, crying, emotional bursts. It was horrible.</p>
<p>My eyes began to open slowly, my lashes peeling open so I could see again. I was in my bed, not my real bed but the bed that I’ve been sleeping in since I got there. It didn’t feel like a bed, it was just leaves, bamboo and straw, like most of the place. Sara was sitting over me, her attentive smile looking down on me. <br/>‘You okay?’ She said to me as she brushed her hand over my forehead.<br/>‘Yeah, W-what happened?’ It took me a while to get the words out, I was immensely weak. I don’t know why. My mouth was dry.<br/>‘You passed out, dehydration probably. You need to start drinking more water, okay?’<br/>‘Okay.’ I said. ‘Water now?’<br/>‘Yes of course.’ Sara turned away. She was outside my field of vision, My eyes weren’t able to move, all I could see was the bamboo ceiling, the cobwebs in living in the corners. Sara came back, holding a coconut. <br/>‘Just drink from the straw okay honey.’<br/>She pressed the straw between my lips, my head was still lying horizontally. The water was nice, not sweet like fruit, not sparkling like champagne, just nice. <br/>‘I boiled it just now, don't worry.’ She pressed her hand on my chin.<br/>‘Thanks.’ After the revival of my hydration I was able to push myself up. I felt a lot better, less tired, less light-headed.<br/>I looked around and saw that it was just me and Sara. Amaya's bed vacant. Where was she? <br/>I suddenly remembered what happened.<br/>‘H-how's Aubrie?’ I asked.<br/>‘W-well she seems okay, she’s being stitched up. You feel okay?’ She placed the coconut on my lap and held my hands.<br/>‘Yeah. How long have I been asleep?’<br/>‘A few hours, Dr. Zielinski came around, she said you’ll be okay just water. You must understand that they don’t really have enough time right now of course ‘cause of Aubrie.’ her grip tightened a little, in a comforting way.<br/>‘Yeah, I’m okay anyway.’ I peeled back my teeth, attempting to smile; by Sara’s confused face it didn’t really work. <br/>‘We have a meeting today, Julia said if you’re up for it you should come.’ <br/>‘Yeah I’ll come,’ I nodded.<br/>‘Good, I’ll feel kinda alone when you’re not there, at those things.’ She sat on the side of my bed and shuffled closer to me.<br/>‘Even if you don’t really speak, I like being around you,’ She giggled then kissed my forehead. </p>
<p>The meeting occurred later on. When we came in, Julia was already there, sitting down on her bamboo-made seat, leaves on the chair to make it more comfortable. We all sat around the table, no leaves on ours and one seat vacant, Aubrie didn't come. <br/>Everyone was rather quiet at first due to what happened earlier in the day. We bowed our heads as if we were going to take a moment of silence for Aubrie, no one said that but it seemed as though that was what we were doing.<br/>Julia eventually spoke, ‘How is she? Spencer.’ <br/>Spencer lifted up his head, ‘Well, Diane is looking after her, she’s calmed down. They’ve sewn one hand.’ Spencer’s voice was very robotic, he rehearsed what he was going to say if someone were to ask him.<br/>‘How did it happen?’ Roberto asked.<br/>‘I don’t really know, we were out hunting. She extended her arm in a bush, then I heard a rather loud crunching sound, then she pushed her spear in the bush, but that got broken and her other arm went with it.’ <br/>‘Do you know what bit her?’ Amaya asked.<br/>‘Nope, I looked through the gaps between the leaves, could see nothing,’ Spencer shrugged.<br/>‘Shit,’ I muttered.<br/>‘So both her hands are gone?’ Julia asked.<br/>Spencer nodded, an emotionless expression remained on his face; he was a robot there to just give a recount of what happened.<br/>We sat in silence for a bit, all eyeing Julia. Her head was shaking, her fingers pressing her chin, she was thinking. Thinking about Aubrie? Thinking about the thing that bit her? Probably everything, she seemed to be very analytical.<br/>She shook her head.<br/>‘This isn’t good, we need Aubrie, she’s strong, good at hunting, better than anyone else here. We can’t use her anymore, what else does she have?’<br/>No one said anything. We were shocked mostly at why she would say such an insensitive thing, but then, she was the queen, and she had to look at the real picture.<br/>‘I don’t know, she could be one of the cooks?’ Johnny was directly next to Julia, they were looking at each other as if no one else was in the room.<br/>‘No, we have too many of those.’ <br/>‘I think we should wait until she’s better, then we can make the decision.’ Spencer leaned in on the table, looking at Julia judiciously.<br/>‘Yeah, she’s not even here, c’mon,’ Sara said.<br/>‘The reason she isn’t here is because she was bitten, bitten by something no one can seem to identify. Don’t ya think that’s a bit weird?’ Julia stood up, she leaned over the table and pressed her hands firmly on the cobblestone surface. She looked around at us.<br/>‘Well yes, but I mean there’s all sorts of things in the jungle.’ Roberto inquired.<br/>Julia banged her hands on the surface, I could only imagine the pain it would’ve caused. <br/>‘Please! Please stop calling it a jungle, this isn’t a jungle! This is God’s garden, everything happens for a reason.’ Julia’s eyes squinted and her pale eyebrows were crossed, forming a long beige caterpillar.<br/>‘Sorry,’ Roberto timidly said.<br/>‘You think that, God bit her?’ Spencer raised his eyebrows.<br/>‘Or he sent something to.’ Julia’s face was more relaxed now. ‘It’s a sign, of course it is.’ <br/>Johnny nodded while Julia was speaking. He was very much a teacher’s pet. <br/>‘He wants us to do something, there seems to be something we’re missing so he’s trying to tell us it.’ Julia began to circle the table, thinking aloud.<br/>‘Aubrie’s hands are gone, yes that is true. She is useless to us now, cast her away. But we shouldn’t do that because if we were to cast her away God would’ve just had her dead. Don’t ya think?’ Julia looked at Johnny. He nodded.<br/>Julia circled the table once more, her fingers pressed on her chin. <br/>All of a sudden her fingers darted down to her sides, her face almost lit up, but not with light, almost with darkness.<br/>The vines on the wall shivered instantaneously after wards, as if some intangible concept flew out of Julia’s mind. <br/>‘This is a sign, God is telling us we need to start expanding.’ Her hands pressed against the cobblestone surface again, looking out over our heads, to the plain stone wall on the other side. <br/>‘Aubrie is useless yes but not really, she can still have children, her genes are useful. We can create true monsters with her and you, Spencer.’  She leaned over the cobble stone surface to where Spencer was. ‘We’re going to use you two.’<br/>All our eyes widened with disgust, was this actually happening? Is this real?<br/>‘What the fuck Julia, she’s not even here and you’re talking about this shit?!’ Spencer shot up and banged on the surface, even louder than Julia. He cried with agony, after hitting his palms forcefully on the hard stone. But he was still angry and shocked. We all were, but no one was brave enough to speak, so our faces remained blank. ‘D’ya not think you should ask people before you say these things?’<br/>‘Have you not been listening? This is the start of a new world, a start of a perfect world, the only way for perfection to conserve is for perfection to expand. With your appearance and Aubrie's athletic genes, the vision can only get better.’ She ran in front of Spencer, stopping him from heading towards the ladder.<br/>‘No! Fuck you! I’m out.’ He shoved Julia to the side, causing her to lose balance and collapse on the stone cold floor. Her head landing on clamps of dust. Johnny propelled forward to Spencer like a bull, his hands engulfing Spencer’s shoulders with his long extended arms. He began to rock Spencer’s body back and forth like a pendulum, the contrast between Spencer's swaying long, blonde hair and Johnny’s swaying long, brown created an image of the sun and moon clashing together.<br/>‘Get the fuck off me you mentalist!’ I couldn’t see Spencer’s face but his hands were batting Johnny’s exposed collar bone, the thud barely audible over Johnny’s grinding teeth. <br/>‘Don’t fucking touch her like that!’ Johnny thrust his knee forehead, digging it in Spencer’s abdominal area, letting out an echoing weep.<br/>Spencer surrendered to the ground and Julia stood her self up.<br/>‘Leave him Johnny,’ Julia whispered, standing on her tiptoes and leaning into Johnny’s ear. <br/>Spencer cried on the floor, his hand pressed against his bare stomach where Johnny dug his knee in. We all stared down at him. Amaya took his arm to help him up. He batted her away as if she was a wasp.<br/>‘I’m going, I don’t want to be here any more, you are all bat shit crazy.’ He staggered precariously to the ladder. He looked back at us, his eyes on me then Roberto. <br/>‘Kids, if you wanna come, wanna find a way home then you’re welcome to join me.’<br/>‘They won’t come with you because they know what God wants, so does Aubrie. If you won’t do it we will just replace you.’ Julia said emphatically. I could see her wiping dust off her cheeks.<br/>‘What God wants, haha, God has done nothing for us, lady. Get Johnny to fuck her okay.’ He turned around and headed up the ladder.<br/>His dirty bare feet ascending up from our meeting hall.</p>
<p>That was the last time we saw him. Whether or not he died in the jungle, or he actually was able to get back home, we didn’t know. The few days afterwards I regretted not going with him, not climbing up the ladder, even if I did end up dying, I would’ve felt better trying.</p>
<p>I spent most days after that in the rock shelter, talking to Nadia, less about learning what was happening, more reminiscing about home. I felt more comfortable in telling her about the new Garden, where I was, who I was. I never spoke about the utopian vision, I thought that would be cruel for her to know. I learnt a lot about her, she was 20, originally a student at the University of Liverpool. She wanted to become a writer, a story writer or a travel writer, she didn’t know yet. She loved books, cinema, sports. <br/>Feminist advocate. We had a lot in common, it was heart-breaking, to hear about all her aspirations knowing they could never be pursued in such a pathetic world. I wondered why God didn’t choose her, she was perfect, kind obviously smart, interesting, passionate. <br/>God works in peculiar ways.<br/>‘Do you have dogs o’er there?’ She asked me one time.<br/>‘Yeah I’ve seen a few labs, Terriers, I wanted to keep one but they take longer than we thought to tame, so we’ve stuck to a wild boar as the local pet.’<br/>‘Eww. I swear they smell.’ She laughed.<br/>I laughed. <br/>‘He’s fine, haha, I like him.’<br/>‘When I went to India as a kid I rode on an elephant once but I was told by my friends that it’s bad for their back so I felt really bad n’ adopted one from one of those wildlife charities.’<br/>‘We’re so much nicer to our animals ‘cause we’re like, really smart. We wouldn’t ride them. They live with us though, I’ve seen a few.’<br/>‘Figures.’ Nadia eye rolled. I smiled and I assumed she did as well. ‘I wish I could have a pet, food is scarce so whenever we come across an animal it’s just dinner.’ <br/>‘I can imagine,’ I said.<br/>‘I wish I could come to you, your world.’ I sensed the deepness in her voice, a plea, an entreating cry for help.<br/>I would’ve told her that she shouldn’t say that, that this world is no better, but I knew I couldn’t. I kept quiet for my own safety.<br/>‘Just stay where you are, God will have a plan.’ I smiled an encouraging smile, but then I realised that was pointless because she wouldn’t see my encouraging smile.<br/>‘I don’t want to live like this anymore. Hey, I’m not even living, this is just surviving.’ I could see a singular tear excreting from the eye in the crystal. ‘You said that God isn’t even going to come for us.’<br/>‘How are things?’ I asked, ignoring her second comment.<br/>‘Not good, a few other land masses around us have collapsed, we think we’re gonna be next. A Lot of people have vacated, trying to find a new home, the leaders of our congregation have told us to stay. They say that God is waiting for us, deeper, underneath the water. The Devil’s world and God’s world have shifted, that’s what my they say anyway.’ <br/>My mouth was agape, I didn’t really know what to say. Does God want them? It couldn’t be true because the real God wasn’t the Christian God, it wasn’t called the Garden of Eden. Humans are imaginative creatures who make this shit up.<br/>‘D-do you believe Them?’<br/>‘I believe something is happening, if there wasn’t something we wouldn’t be talking. Like magical crystals ‘n shit.’ <br/>‘You’re right.’ I nodded, to reassure myself, not her.<br/>‘So, when the land sinks, y'all are gonna stay there?’ I asked.<br/>‘Yeah, don’t ya think I should?’ She asked me. ‘The sciency people say we shouldn’t stay, if we sink we’d freeze. But our congregation doesn’t listen to science stuff, we listen to God apparently.’<br/>‘What do the sciency people say, then?’ I asked.<br/>‘I don’t know, sciency things that translate to just like, not letting yourself drown in the freezing cold water because God isn’t under there apparently.’ </p>
<p>‘Listen, there’s something I need to tell you, something about your world that might make things easier to understand.’<br/>‘You gonna tell me this is all a dream?’ Nadia’s voice sounded quiet but also loud, echoing through my mind. I took one deep breath, then let it all out.<br/>‘Haha, no.’ My eyes narrowed. ‘I don’t know everything. But I know that God has made a new world. A world full of chosen people to blossom into a utopia. I’m an Earthling, but apparently not an Earthling like you, I hold opulent traits which can help expand a race of utopian humans. I wouldn’t trust your religious people, the Bible wasn’t made by God, it was made by your people.’ <br/>‘My people?’ Nadia sounded fairly offended.<br/>‘Ordinary humans.’ <br/>‘So what’s gonna happen? We’re all just waiting to die?!’ Nadia cried.<br/>‘I suppose so, unless I find a way to get you out of there.’ <br/>‘How would you do that?’<br/>‘I don’t know yet, but I will, don’t worry, I wouldn’t let you die.’ <br/>I blew her a kiss, I didn’t know if she heard it or not, but I did it anyway. <br/>‘I should go, but I’ll be back soon okay?’ <br/>‘Okay.’ </p>
<p>I liked Nadia, I wanted to be with her. In an ideal world, I would rather be with her back at home, but in order to make an ideal world you have to do things that aren’t personally ideal to you.<br/>She was to live in the new garden because it is impossible to live in the old world, that world is only for survival. Yes, I knew this place was faulty, things weren’t as they seemed, but the utopian vision will prevail eventually. <br/>The next few days I spent my time praying to god, well not really praying but having more of a one-sided conversation. Asking him the meaning of everything, of what was happening to the old world and the new. He didn’t answer, of course he wouldn’t, his answers aren’t literal, never literal. </p>
<p>Aubrie never attended any meetings after what happened, she stayed in the medic hut, not really going out, probably because of shame. I would see a lot of men leaving the hut in the mornings. This terrified me. Terrified me that it would have to be me soon. That was what made me contemplate whether I should try and go back to the real world, or leave with Spencer. But I knew neither options would lead to living, and neither would lead to Nadia living. I had to think about her as well.</p>
<p>The morning before it happened I visited Aubrie. She was lying on the bed frame, her muscular physique seemed too big for the dimensions. Her arms laid on her chest, two stitched up knobs rising and falling as she breathed. I saw no bump, yet. Her hair had grown long, just about touching the grass that was the ground. She seemed oddly peaceful, a woman at rest from the strenuous work she used to undergo, the work that made her important. Now her ‘attribute’ was maternity, or just a machine. Still, she seemed peaceful, just laying there. <br/>Diane told me not to wake her up so I just sat cross legged in the grass, staring up at her, braiding her loose hair. The one thing I missed about long hair was being able to braid it. <br/>I was contemplating why I was there, I didn’t really know her, but things have changed, I was scared. I didn’t want to have children, but I knew I had to. I felt no freedom, yes I was special, but my specialness was solely utilised for one single goal; the utopian vision. Still, things would be better once Nadia comes, if I was able to get her. There must be some portal of some kind, like a hole or tunnel, there always is. I spent a while thinking about everything, as I usually spent my time doing. <br/>‘Who is this?’ Aubrie’s voice was croaky and slightly distorted.<br/>‘Oh it’s me.’ I dropped her hair mid-braid. <br/>‘Stand up so I can see who me, is.’ Her voice was still croaky, but stern as usual.<br/>I stood up, her eyes were open ever so slightly, she looked at me as though it was a struggle to keep her eyes open.<br/>‘Emily, hi.’ She said.<br/>‘Hi, how are you?’ I glanced at her malformed arms, her stitches.<br/>‘As good as I could be.’ She began to close her eyes.<br/>‘Sorry, should I leave?’ I asked.<br/>‘No, you can stay, it’s nice to have company.’ <br/>‘Oh okay, I just wanted to know how you are?’<br/>‘Thank you for being considerate, but you don’t have to, no one else does. How’s Spencer?’<br/>My heart sank for her, she doesn’t know, she doesn’t know much. She wasn’t at the meeting, I began to hold back tears. Imagine crying in paradise.<br/>‘He’s good, yeah.’ I didn’t know what else to say.<br/>‘Tell ‘em I said thanks.’ She nodded her head to me. I nodded to her as well.<br/>‘People are just busy now, that’s probably why they aren’t coming.’<br/>‘Yeah I know, I’m fully aware of what people are doing now. To expand the utopian vision. You’re okay Emily, know?’<br/>‘I guess so. I’m just doing what I have to do.’<br/>‘Good, so am I.’<br/>‘Do you know what’s happening in the old world?’ I leaned in to her ear, whispering.<br/>‘No, but I keep on having dreams, the one with the running across the ice, they’re coming back now.’ Her eyes were firmly shut now but trickles of tears dripped down her cheeks. <br/>‘I don’t think he wants me here anymore.’<br/>‘Neither do I.’ I said the words, they came flooding out, I regretted it instantaneously.<br/>‘Maybe, we could try and go back, me and you, surviving seems a lot better than this twisted version of living right now.’ <br/>I nodded, but she couldn’t see. I don’t know why I nodded, because my plan was to get Nadia to come here, not to run away with Aubrie. <br/>I paused for a while to think of a way to shift the conversation to a more light-hearted topic.<br/>‘Should I do your makeup?’ I asked, my hand rested on her stitches ever so gently.<br/>‘Sure but no one will see me.’<br/>‘I’ll be back soon, I’ll go get my stuff.’<br/>I left the hut, Diane greeted me at the doorway.<br/>‘I’m just going to get my makeup things,’ I said to her.<br/>‘Makeup?’ She looked at me, eyebrows raised.<br/>‘Yeah why not.’ I shrugged. ‘A bit of aloe Vera for her lips, pluck her brows a bit, make her eyes look kinder. Some other stuff too.’ <br/>‘Okay, but let her rest for a bit at least , the stitches are still new.’<br/>‘Oh, I know, I understand that she hasn’t had a lot of time to rest.’ I raised my eyebrows at her, she knew what I was referring to. She nodded and looked down, abashed.<br/>I walked across the grass, heading for the ladders for the treehouses on the other side. That’s when I heard the scream.<br/>It was excruciatingly loud, slicing through my ears. I shivered, paused right in the middle of the clearing, eyes wide. <br/>The scream echoed, everyone came rushing out their huts. Their faces were clueless, no idea where the sound was coming from. But I knew, of course I knew. <br/>I dived into the water undauntedly, my head scratched the gravel at the bottom but that didn’t matter. I couldn't tell whether it was red wine or my blood circling me in the water.<br/>Even under water the screaming continued, getting louder and louder as I swam forward. The cadence, the voice got more distinguishable as I got closer, it was Nadia. I knew it was. I struggled through the crushing water to get to the rock shelter. <br/>The screeching filled the rock-shelter, I shot up out the water and had to cover up my ears. I swished through the water to my crystal, where my Nadia was. <br/>The cerulean shades seemed to be dying down like a battery switching off. The screaming turned to panting, then crying. I propelled myself forward to the crystal so my mouth was shouting into it like a microphone.<br/>‘W-what! what’s wrong?’<br/>‘I c-can’t! The ground has split, half of it is sinking, no one is l-letting us go, I can’t find my mum.’ Her voice was distorted and staggered.<br/>‘Okay, okay. I don’t know what to do honey.’ My mind was in disarray, panic and anxiety overflowed my head and began to almost ooze out of my ears.<br/>The cerulean crystal died down its luminous view. I began to dig my fingers into the wall, piercing through the jet black rocks, blood leaking out my nails, acrimonious scratches pierced through the skin of my knuckles. <br/>I jammed my bloody fingers into the crevices where the crystal was nudged into, I was screaming, the pain was unbearable, and hearing Nadia’s terror made it worse. She was scared, she knew that the world was ending, she knew that there was nothing under the ice. She was going to die. Except she wasn’t, I couldn’t let that happen. <br/>I exerted as much force as I could, heaving the crystal out the crevice in which it was nudged into. I didn’t quite know why I was doing this, but It seemed the best possible option to try. I felt the screaming come from behind the crystal, deep into the rocky wall like a tunnel. The force of my heaving sent me crashing into the water, my pleated skirt’s stitches ripped loose, now entirely dishevelled. I had more important things to think about. The crystal turned jet black in my bloody hand, like the other rocks on the wall. There was now a blue hole apparent in the rock wall, where the crystal had been. The glowing indicated that Nadia was on the other side.<br/>‘Can you hear me?’ I pressed my mouth through the hole.<br/>‘Yes! What the fuck is happening?’<br/>‘Where are you hearing this from?’<br/>‘A there’s now a hole in the ice, but the water is bright blue.’<br/>‘Is there anyone else with you?’<br/>‘Yes, the c-congregation, we’re all on a small little island t-t-type thing, waiting to be engulfed, the holes in the middle.’ Nadia’s exclamations were difficult to hear over the immense whirlpools surrounding her land mass. combined with the perpetual crashing of water behind me.<br/>I knew just as much as she did about the situation, but I knew that I had to get her here. And to get her here I had to take risks.<br/>‘Jump in the hole Nadia.’ I said.<br/>‘W-what? It’s gonna be freezing I-’<br/>‘If you trust me, you’d jump in, swim down the bright blue hole. Just keep swimming down.’<br/>‘Why?’<br/>‘Just do it, okay.’ I began to lose my patience, mixed emotions darted through my head, excitement, fear, anger, confusion, anxiety. <br/>‘Okay.’ She said.<br/>I heard a splash. There was silence for a while, not actually silence but verbal silence, I could hear water noises, like bubbles. They got louder and louder. <br/>My ear was pressed against the hole like I was on the phone, but my head darted away without hesitation after the cracking sound of the hole expanding. Getting bigger and bigger, the luminous blue aperture bear down on me as I crashed onto the ground again, back into the water.<br/>Water began to pour out the expanding hole like a faucet, landing on me. It was rather refreshing, good for the recovering of my dehydration. The water’s motion increased, the higher volume of water crashing on me. I thought I would drown. <br/>I began to stand up again, until a much greater mass than water hurtled on top of me. My head once again was engulfed under the water and scratched the gravel at the bottom. I couldn’t even imagine the scars and scratches I formulated after this eventful episode. <br/>I realised the thing on me was a person. I flung myself up into the air, out the water. I gasped then exhaled as much water as I could out my mouth. I began to pant, and the panting turned into hyperventilating. The person on top of me lifted their head up to. It was a woman, a woman that seemed recognisable but not quite, Nadia. <br/>The water began to slow down and eventually come to halt as if someone turned the faucet off. <br/>Nadia sat up right, on top of me, her legs dangling in the water. I was able to slowly move so I could sit upright, to make eye contact with her. <br/>We looked at each other, I stared into her eyes, the one on the right I knew oh so familiar. We looked at each other, faces of wonder. Despite the fact my head and hands were in agony, I felt joy, glee, hope.<br/>Nadia was almost exactly how I imagined. She had big brown eyes with dainty yet long eyelashes and scintillatingly smooth dark skin. She was wearing a big puffy coat and cargo trousers. I could feel the heavy weight of her boots.<br/>‘Hi.’ Her voice sounded more comforting now we were physically together. She smiled down at me, and sighed a sigh of relief.<br/>‘Hi.’ I said. I sighed a sigh of relief as well, we were finally together. ‘My name is Emily by the way, I don’t really know how old I am.’<br/>‘I know, you’ve told me.’ <br/>We smiled at each other. She flung her arms around me. We engaged in a warm embrace for a while until she whispered in my ear, ‘Thank you!’ <br/>I blushed. <br/>‘Okay,’ I said. She splashed some water at me. I laughed, she laughed.<br/>‘Can we get out of here? I’m looking forward to warmer climes.’ She asked me jovially.<br/>‘Of course, of course.’ I said, and clapped my hands to emphasise my excitement.</p>
<p>For the last time ever I swished through the water, descending back underneath. Our hands stayed in a firm hold as I was habitually appointed as the guider of the aquatic trail. High hopes were swimming through my mind. God knew that I deserved happiness so he granted it to me, he knew I had to search for it myself, and I did. <br/>My faith in God was as strong as ever in those few seconds, I was completely oblivious to how it would all crumble down a few moments later. <br/>I assumed Nadia was to replace Spencer, the equilibrium would be restored, and we would strive for the utopian vision again. <br/>Spencer was an ass hole, not even particularly funny, just pretty. <br/>We passed the other side of the crashing waterfall, back to the village. </p>
<p>We weren’t welcomed with courteous villagers. The day was dark, the sun descending under the horizon leaving it’s radiant mist of reddish-orange. We swam through the lake, I lifted my head up, out the water and so did Nadia. Our hands were still intertwined. My face was covered with an extreme smile in reaction to the internal rumination of my hope for the future. <br/>But the smile slowly disappeared as I scanned the grass surrounding the lake. Mostly everyone was there, holding spears; stern, anticipating faces. Johnny was at the centre, his big bear arms gripping tightly to his wooden spear. His legs bent as if he was about to pounce like a tiger.<br/>Nadia was standing by my side in the water, her smile also dissipating as fear and confusion struck her face.<br/>Johnny growled, ‘Who is she?’<br/>‘She’s new, she woke up in the cave.’ My fear was no longer apparent in my face, I remained externally nonchalant, even though my heart was pounding.<br/>‘No. She’s one of them!’ Cried Adam the fisherman, standing directly next to Johnny, imitating his position.<br/>‘How can she be one of them If she’s here?’ I inquired.<br/>‘The devil must’ve brought her here, this is a test!’ A woman behind the spear holders yelled.<br/>‘There is no such thing as the Devil.’ I said, audaciously.<br/>‘We can’t just bring people in Emily, we haven’t had new people in ages, We thought she was some fuckin’ demon!’ Johnny growled again.<br/>‘If God didn’t want her here, she wouldn’t be here, now put your spears down and excuse us.’ I couldn’t believe the audacity I had, talking to them like that. I also couldn’t believe their audacity, questioning me.<br/>‘We have to take her to Julia first.’ <br/>‘Why?’ I asked, frowning.<br/>‘Why the fuck do you think? Look at her, she isn’t dressed for the jungle.’ Adam exclaimed.<br/>‘Neither were any of us when we first got ‘ere.’ I pulled Nadia closer to me as I made my way through the water with the aim of climbing back up to the grass and squeezing through the crowd. <br/>Someone grabbed my arm, I couldn’t see who, and tugged me away from Nadia’s grip. I saw Johnny engulf Nadia from the water with his long arms. I screamed, at least I think I did but nothing came out, I was too exhausted. <br/>There was indistinguishable yelling among the crowd. People yelling at me, shaking their heads in extreme disappointment as I was pulled through by an unknown person. <br/>I then realised the hand clasped on mine was Sara, dainty yet strong. I began to feel a little more relaxed knowing it was her, but when we weaved out from the crowd her face looked just as disappointed as the others. She pulled me into the trees behind one of the huts, so no one could see us.<br/>‘What the fuck is going on Milly?’ She began to shake me by the shoulders.<br/>‘I-I don’t know.’ I shrugged, or at least tried to, it was rather hard when her grip was fairly tight.<br/>‘Who is she?’ Sara whispered to me in an exclamatory tone.<br/>‘She’s new.’<br/>‘She’s new? Why is she dressed like the old people?’<br/>‘She’s from Earth, just like all of us.’<br/>‘Yes but she’s from the broken, demolished time.’ <br/>‘Why have you been sneaking down there all the time? Don’t think people haven’t noticed.’ She said this in a condescending undertone I didn’t care for.<br/>‘Why does it matter?’<br/>‘Because you can get into trouble!’ She slapped me round the face.<br/>I gasped.<br/>‘Sorry.’ She held my cheeks. ‘This isn’t Earth there’s rules here, okay.’<br/>I batted her hands away, ‘What are they going to do to her?’ <br/>‘I don’t know,’ She said, callously. Shadows formed around her eyes.<br/>‘Fuck you!’ I yelled. <br/>I headed back to the village but Sara pulled me back. <br/>‘It’s best for you to stay here.’ She whispered into my ear.<br/>‘I can’t let them hurt her!’ <br/>‘If she should be here then she won’t get hurt.’<br/>She wrapped her arms around my waist from the back, restraining me from running. I kicked up my legs in protest, but she still held me tight.<br/>‘Just stay here okay?’ Her voice seemed more calm now.<br/>I didn’t answer. Loneliness came back to me, my volatile mood was unbearable. I wanted to go home. <br/>I wanted to see my mum, my dad, my family, I wouldn’t even mind seeing my neighbours. <br/>All my aspirations to make money, buy clothes, travel the world, get married was all flushed down the drain because of Humanities frailty.<br/>I didn’t know what I wanted to do to be honest, you can see by reading this the cyclical shift of my emotions. <br/>I thought I should kill myself, the only solution to escape this nightmare, but I didn’t want to. <br/>A part of me wanted to see how this turns out, a part of me wanted the glory and satisfaction of being a chosen one, a part of me wanted to feel loved by someone, whether that be Sara or Nadia. I didn’t really care. <br/>Other people felt the same but different filters to me now. <br/>Some I preferred more than others, but the more of them that worshipped me the better. <br/>I began to stop kicking, I stood in Sara’s hold, listening in to what was going on.<br/>The yelling seemed to stop. There was silence for a while, I was confused. <br/>I peeped my head out to have a look. Sara did the same.<br/>Julia was out on her balcony, staring down at the crowd. Nadia and Johnny weren’t in sight. I was confused until she started speaking. She cleared her throat.<br/>‘My divine peers. I understand we have been joined with a new person. Someone from the old world, yes. We are currently unaware of the circumstances in which she came here, for she is remaining silent. However, the most important question is if she’s one of us.’ She paused for a minute, I couldn’t distinctly see her face but I could guess the expression. Nonchalant, confident, authoritative. Attractive it was yes, but scary.<br/>‘As you know God has gifted us with the well-deserved ability to make various alcoholic beverages using water, something in which frail humans could never be able to comprehend.’ She paused for the crowds clapping and cheers as if they’ve forgotten their ability to make booze.<br/>‘Therefore, this… Lady, will partake in the act of cupping her hands with the water from our sacred waterfall, and will pour it into my mouth. If the water does not turn to not red wine, she will drown.’ The crowd’s yelling was sparked up again. <br/>The volume repelled my head back behind the hut in fear. Sara did the same. <br/>‘If she’s not human, what would they do to me? They’d blame me, I know they will.’ I collapsed my head on Sara’s shoulder for comfort.<br/>‘I don’t know,’ She said.<br/>‘I know how to get back, Sara.’ <br/>‘What?’<br/>‘I know how to get back to Earth.’<br/>‘You wanna go back?’ She pulled my head up with her hands around my cheeks.<br/>‘If they want to kill me, I’m going back,’ I said.<br/>‘Okay.’ She said.<br/>I wanted to kiss her, but that would be stupid.<br/>‘They probably won’t kill you,’ She said. <br/>‘Okay.’<br/>We looked at each other for awhile.<br/>‘If I went, would you come with me?’ I asked.<br/>‘Probably not, but I would miss you.’ Her abrupt words ripped my heart out. I didn't show it in my face, It remained emotionless. So did hers, it was like we were both empty.<br/>I heard the crowd begin to quiet down, like at a singing contest when they’re announcing the winner. <br/>A few thuds projected throughout the area. I assumed Julia, Johnny and Nadia climbed down the ladder, making their way to the lake. I imagined the instant scattering away of the crowd to make way for their majesty, her lover, and her prisoner as they walked to the edge of the lake. <br/>I didn’t want to look, I felt too uncomfortable. I just continued to stare into Sara’s soulless eyes.<br/>‘Besides, if I went with you, we wouldn’t be able to speak to each other. I know no English.’ She said.<br/>‘Okay.’<br/>I was unable to see what was happening, but I could imagine it vividly. Nadia cupping her hands with water, Julia sitting on the throne. I was unsure what the outcome would be, God could never make mistakes I thought, she must be one of us. <br/>She could be a test, a way of telling us how we can determine who is really one of us. I didn’t know, all I knew is that if she couldn’t do it, I should be worried.<br/>‘Change my water into wine.’ Julia’s voice was loud, I don’t know how she was able to talk so loudly, but I could hear her. When she spoke she spoke with importance, she made sure everyone could hear.<br/>I rested my head on Sara’s shoulders again, trying to feel as distant from the situation as possible. She wrapped her arms around me.<br/>My heart beat elevated, my palms were sweating, I was terrified. My neck started to itch, but I didn’t want to scratch it, my arms were hugging Sara tightly. <br/>I suddenly remembered Roberto, he couldn’t do it, is he still one of us? Maybe there’s others who can’t do it; turn water into wine. They must be just as scared as I am, maybe even more so. I knew how to get out, they didn’t. They were trapped here forever. Believing there was something wrong with them, they were mistakes, frail humans who weren’t meant to be in the utopian vision.<br/>The crowd's quietness was unsettling, so unsettling I could almost hear a drum roll, waiting for a verdict. I was waiting as well, waiting for the words to come out Julia’s mouth as she swallowed the last drop.<br/>‘You have given me water, not wine.’ She said. <br/>The crowd gasped, I gasped, Sara, gasped. I couldn’t stop shaking. Nadia was going to be killed, so was I. I was biting my lips to prevent screaming. My legs were twitching uncontrollably. <br/>My knees collapsed to the ground forcefully as if some magnetic force attracted them to the ground. Sara went down with me. I buried my head into the grass, my eyes shut firmly but tears were still able to leak out. I peeled back my lips, spews of saliva flung out my mouth as I screamed silently. <br/>I couldn’t breathe, see, hear anything. I thought I was fainting again. Sara knelt beside me. I couldn’t hear her but I imagine her continuous gestures of comfort whispering in my ear as she stroked my hair. <br/>I felt my brain physically shake in disbelief. They were going to kill her, drown her. The sound of underwater disarray was the only thing I could hear. Cries stuffed with liquid, unrecognisable pain and terror of knowing that you were dying. <br/>I heard Nadia’s splashes, her futile attempt to get back up into the water, but Johnny’s firm hand restrained her under the water. It was excruciating. But it all stopped, the turmoil had stopped, she was gone. I didn’t know if she went to heaven, or to hell because we were unaware whether they existed. <br/>But that didn’t matter, she was dead.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. All flesh is grass</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>I’ve always wondered what everyone was truly feeling after they saw that. After they saw someone get killed for not being out to turn water into wine. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I know they wouldn’t be cheering in the old world, before all this happened, they would think it was inhumane. But now that they believe they aren’t human anymore, now that they believe they are above humanity, they think it’s okay, or at least pretended they did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I left, I had to leave. I remember diving into the lake again, swimming past the waterfall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I heard voices in my head, foreign languages mostly as I entered the rock shelter, passing the crashing waterfall separating me from the others, passing the Rubicon, for the last time. There were more colourful rocks now, crystals like Nadia’s. It was other people, finding crystals. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was as if a bunch of telephones were ringing, but I had no time to answer, I had to get out of there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Swimming up the tunnel was hard, I hadn’t had to hold my breath for that long in a while. The water was dark, the only thing guiding me was a blue light, getting bigger and bigger as I swam upward in a rather abnormal motion. I felt rather exerted, a long day, the only thing propelling me upward was my arms, reaching out for the blue light like it was a peach on a branch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> I eventually reached the top, the blue light turned out to be a circle, a hole. A perfectly shaped hole that you wouldn’t usually see in nature. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That's a ridiculous statement I thought, circles were made in nature. I began to panic and exert as much force as possible, my dead legs instantaneously sprung into action as if a switch was turned on in my limbs. I vivaciously pushed myself upwards as I was struggling to hold in my breath. I pierced through the blue light, through the water. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>My arms crashed through first, the first part of my body to experience the mordacious freeze on the other side. It was a huge contrast to the bearable water the rest of my body was in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>My eyes were in reaction to the incessant splashes of salt water flying on my faces as my head gouged through. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The vast shift between hot and cold temperatures sparked a migraine in my head, I thought it impossible for me to become accustomed to the cold again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I opened my eyes. I saw ice, grey and white. It was difficult to look at; anguishing to say the least. The never-ending grey sky bear down on me like a sheet of metal disguising as a blanket. I had no idea where I was, but I thought it best to climb out of the hole. My attire was obviously unfit for such circumstances; straw woven sandals in which one fell off, ripped pleated skirt and a crop top that I cut myself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I thought I was going to die, but I didn’t seem to mind. Surviving seemed futile here.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I trekked along the ice for a while, intangible beings of nefarious coldness strangled me until my tears froze up, forming little stalactites on my cheeks. My fingers turned blue, dark, devilish blue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I didn’t like the fact that my favourite colour was now associated with frostbite.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I tried to stop myself from crying but I couldn’t, the tears freezing and digging into my cheeks. It was horrible, travelling through this frozen abyss. Nothing about it reminded me of Earth, my original home, the place I thought I was originally going to die in, then I thought I wasn’t going to die, then once I came back, I was almost adamant I was going to die there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I walked for a long time until I was met with some form of civilization. The smell of burning ham somehow wiggled it’s way through my nose. I was getting to land. Probably one of the last land masses, it would eventually sink, but it would be fine to inhabit for a bit. I was met with a colony of people, young, old, middle aged. I hadn’t seen a group of people with such a wide spectrum of ages for a long time, a group of people with such a wide spectrum of appearance, such a wide spectrum of ability. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Some were frail, unable to stand. They were all circling a fireplace and turned to see me trudging through the snow behind them. A young boy with an usual amount of freckles on his face ran up to me, he could speak no English but he took my hand and pulled me to the centre of the circle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The whole group stood up and circled me as if I was a birthday girl. I might’ve been, I had no idea what day it was. They were very attentive, wrapping blankets and coats over me, feeding me. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I had no idea what half of them were saying to me, speaking in a foreign tongue that I could not possibly begin to interpret. As I sat down on one of the blankets on top of the snow in the circle, I gazed into the fire not dissimilar to the way I stared into a different fire not long ago. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They all looked at me, smiling. An old woman sat beside me and offered her hand, she had mittens on so I couldn’t possibly decline. I felt nothing in my hands, absolutely nothing. I figured they might fall off, but I didn’t care that much, I didn’t need them anymore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>We sat, I watched them talk to each other in what I assume was German. The old lady next to me wasn’t German, I think she couldn’t understand them either. We looked at each other and smiled, I don’t know why but it was nice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The crevices, lines, wrinkles on her face reminded me of tree bark. She was an old woman, but somehow glorious in her age. She looked wise, kind. I forgot what old people looked like, forgot that I’d be an old person one day. I couldn’t tell if she was squeezing my hand or not anymore, I couldn’t feel anything in my phalanges. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I was now smiling for a purpose, smiling at the silly word, phalanges. Something about these people felt nice, felt homely. Something that I hadn't felt in a long time, they were facing the biggest adversary the world could possibly face, but they were still smiling and talking to each other. I couldn’t really remember talking that much in the New Garden, I couldn’t remember laughing the way these people laughed at each other. I felt more of an observer, no longer a human, just staring up at them now. I don’t know why I felt I was staring up but I was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was my home for the next few weeks, I was able to regain my ability to detect the time through my peers’ guidance. It was hard to talk to them, with the language barrier of course, but surviving didn’t really need language barriers. We were able to communicate what and when we needed to. I learnt how to fish, yes there were some fish still left. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I slept in a tent, with a few other people, rather cramped but I didn’t mind so much. I learnt a few German phrases </span>
  <em>
    <span>den Mund halten, FrostWetter</span>
  </em>
  <span>; Portuguese phrases from the old woman,</span>
  <em>
    <span> Lindo </span>
  </em>
  <span>was a term she used to refer to me. I assumed she might’ve been Brazilian, but I wasn’t completely certain, surviving didn’t really need nationalities. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Life was good, I think. I felt a lot better about this community than the previous one, I felt more special here. I didn’t really know what they thought of me, but I figured I was seen in a positive light; I was pretty, hard working and like really smart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If I was to die there, on one of the last land masses on Earth, I would've been happy. But I didn’t, God had a plan for me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I woke up one morning, the icy blasts became quite comforting for some strange reason, I’d wake up and a nice polar-tinted breeze would just waft over me. I was given some boots, cargo trousers that were too big for me and a coat that we all had to share.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> I decided to go for a walk that morning, a nice stroll, not casual, nothing casual when surviving, but a nice walk. I had to appreciate my surroundings, the grey sky, flat ground blanketed with snow and ice. I had to appreciate it because due to our nomadic lifestyle we would have to move to a different area of grey sky, flat ground blanketed with snow and ice. Things weren’t perfect, I still felt lonely, being the only English speaker in the group, but things could’ve been worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I was glad I went back. On my morning excursion I would usually walk just one lap around the landmass in which we inhabited; the circumference of the snow. It was safer not to walk on the ice, I probably wouldn’t have fallen in, but it was just safer. I didn’t go on the ice if I didn’t need to. I didn’t want to fall in just yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not everyone seemed to follow this precaution; I saw a figure trotting along the ice from afar, then I saw two, two people. One behind the other. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were walking to our land mass coming from, according to the compass that I was gifted, South West. They reminded me of trojans, marching towards us, ready for battle. I let out a laugh, they didn’t at all seem threatening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were, like us, wearing big coats, big boots. I thought they were going to fall in the ice (they looked rather heavy) but they didn’t. They reached the land. As they got closer I could hear their cyclical chanting's. I couldn’t quite work out what they were saying at first, then as I stepped forward to them, I realised. ‘The Devil works fast. The Devil works fast.’</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The Devil works fast.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>I rolled my eyes, but I also didn’t. Those words held too much disgust for me to express in just the rolling of my eyes. I stomped my feet as well; childish I know but I didn’t know how else to react. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I continued towards them, ‘May we help you?’ my walking turned to running, intrigued as to what they would say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I was able to see that it was a man and a woman. A rather old man, with a grey moustache that looked like whiskers. The fur on his hood outlined his head to make him look like some kind of hairy cartoon monster. The woman next to him looked a lot younger, she too had a furry hood as well as some sort of thermal beanie hat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked scared, abashed as if she didn’t really want to be here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I noticed a small Bible under her arm, I internally rolled my eyes. I hadn’t forgotten basic manners and rolling your eyes towards people felt rather impolite.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man fixed his eyes on me, he collapsed on his knees and crawled to me like a dog. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Pathetic,</span>
  </em>
  <span> I thought. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘My child, God told us to rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that crawl along the ground. Repentance has come, a new Genesis! If he wants us, we will go down, stay here and go down. Don’t move!’ The young woman dropped down to the side of him, mimicking his swaying hands. I grimaced at this poor attempt of sermonising</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Mr man, it’s rather unconvincing when a travelling pilgrim tells us not to travel okay?’ I backed away from them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘No, no. No no! You see, it is our duty to stay up and spread the news. Let the ground sink, sink with it, then you’ll be free. We survived the last sinking to tell our story!’ </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I looked down at them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man was staring up at me, earnestly. I turned to the woman, her blue eyes widened more than I could think biologically possible. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘That’s her, sir that’s her!’ She slapped the man's arm as if it were a piñata. I raised my eyebrows, I wasn’t shocked, God works in peculiar ways, but I was intrigued to see what he came up with now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘What honey, what!’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘She’s our saviour! from the Devil’s people!’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘There’s no such thing as the Devil.’ I said. People say things that they don’t mean.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘No! No you’re going to save us! It’s true! All of it is true!’ The man and the woman engaged in a jovial embraced and synchronised cheering while kneeling before me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I didn’t really know what to say, it was rather an awkward situation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Take us, Take us to the Garden. Take us to the Devil’s people. Our queen, please.’ The woman clasped her hands on my shins, ‘Guide us underwater, please.’ I batted her away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘What the fuck man, I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ Again, I had an idea of what God had gone. Told people I was some kind of messiah or something. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You are a weird one</span>
  </em>
  <span> I thought as I looked up at the sky, then I looked down. I didn’t really know where to look, where he was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I glanced back down at the woman, frozen tears running down her cheeks, I could imagine the pain they gave her. She seemed too hopeful to care. Her hand reached into one of the coats ginormous pockets. It came out, clasped around some form of stone, blood seemingly dripping down from her palm and onto the ivory-white snow. Her fist opened up, it was a crystal, a blue crystal. I gasped. I was almost certain this was real now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Where did you get that?’ I asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘It’s from him, our father.’ The man said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Of course it is.’ I grinned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Take us to your people, take us we must share this bless’d news.’ The woman stood up. She grabbed my hand and placed the crystal on it. It was sharp, very sharp, causing blood to trickle down my hand and onto the snow like it did with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman locked her arm with mine. Her eyes were very blue, somewhat frightening. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Thank you for saving us.’ She whispered to me. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I walked with them back to the camp, the man was still marching like a trojan, the woman was attempting to march like a trojan however my casual strolling seemed to restrain her from such speedy paces. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>We reached the others; the people I was living with. Most of them were just getting out of their tents, holding fishing rods and many other survival utensils. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I didn’t really know how to get their attention, I would usually just say ‘Hey!’ for when I caught a fish, when sometimes my foot would fall into the ice fishing hole. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But I didn’t really feel that ‘Hey!’ was appropriate for this circumstance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘God’s children can bear much fruit!’ The man yelled. Most of the people darted their heads up and looked at us with curiosity. The young woman waved the Bible around like it was incense. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The people looked at me, then at the woman and rolled their eyes as if to disregard us as crazy religious people. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘They don’t speak English man,’ I whispered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man looked back at me and grinned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘You! You show them!’ He pointed at my bloody hand rather aggressively. I went down to sit with the old lady on the blanket, I had no time for crazy religious nonsense, I had enough of that for a lifetime. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘They must repent! Repent!’ The man screamed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The screaming continued for a while until one of the presumably German men swung a fist at his face. Continuous beatings of the crazy religious man subjugated his head deep into the snow, blood staining the fluffy ivory- white. Everyone else closed their eyes, the old lady buried her head on my shoulder, shivering every time the smack of the man's fist collided with the crazy religious man's dishevelled face. Even in the cold temperatures I could still feel the sweat deriving from my palms, vomit rumbling up from my stomach. I wasn’t worried about the vomit. I was more worried at the nefarious pain of piercing icicles formed by my tears piercing through the cheeks of my skin because I was subjected to such horror.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This place was no better than the New Garden, people were still fighting, killing each other. Yes they may be talking and laughing at the fireplace but they are more than happy to absolutely defile a person. I knew only what Nadia told me about the religious and science conflict here, but I shouldn’t have been surprised, religion and science have always had a conflict since the dawn of time. They even had conflict about the dawn of time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My eyes stuck to the young woman holding the Bible, They were stuck to her as if shackles were forged on them. She was crying, but not crying for the man, but crying because she had to see it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That day I sat where I was, cross legged on the blanket. No desire to move, just sit and talk to God, wherever he or she was. The young woman sat next to me, placing the Bible on my lap. I didn’t look at her but I could tell it was her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Is your friend okay?’ I asked</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘No, he’s dead.’ Her voice was distorted due to her crying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘I’m sorry,’ I said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘It’s fine, he wasn’t really my friend, just some guy, that told us to believe.’ She was talking with the same distorted crying voice. She leaned in, her cold breath smacking  the side of my face. ‘Hey, I know this is a shock, but what he was saying is true, you’re going to save us. I saw it in my dream.’ She paused for a minute once she saw that I seemed to be distant from the conversation. I was listening, but I was also trying to talk to God.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘We need to go into battle, fight the Devil people. The Devil isn’t from this world, he’s from the other one, down there. I’m sure of it now, when I saw you I was sure of it. If we go down we can regain our Garden.’ </span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Did you believe in all this before, y’know everything?’ I said this without looking directly at her. I wasn’t looking at anything really, my eyes were just open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘No. But in times like this, faith needs to grow. People think we’re crazy, ignoring the scientists, but we were right all along. Y’see, these people, what are they doing. What possesses them to stay here if it wasn’t for faith. They may say they don’t believe in God, but if they didn’t have faith that Earth would come back, they would’ve given up. But it won’t, this isn’t science, this is life. They call us the deniers, the unhinged ones, but we’ve been right all along.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘To be fair to them, I don’t really know what they believe ‘cause they don’t speak English.’ </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman sighed, ‘I ask you to read this.’ She tapped her index finger on the Bible. ‘Wake up tomorrow, and then tell me how to get there.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Where?’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘The New Garden. We need to take these people there.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘It’s not as good as you’d think, girl.’ I sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘It’s the Devil’s garden, that’s why. He’s stolen our good people and turned them into monsters. But you can change that.’ She clasped her hand on my bloody one with the crystal enclosed inside it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘If you rid him, then things will get better.’ </span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Okay, you’re saying that these people, the guy that just killed your friend, deserve to be in utopia?’ I pointed at the man. He was now moving on with his day as if nothing happened, no one said anything, but I looked around and everyone was beyond distraught.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘I don’t know, I just know that you can at least save me.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her frozen tears seemed to have fallen off, She tried to smile at me, but her lips just peeled back to show her crooked teeth. I nodded, slightly scared.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I spent the afternoon in the tent. I couldn’t bear to leave, knowing that they’ll be out there, talking to each other around the fire as if nothing had happened. For a few weeks I had hope. I had hope for Earth, humanity when I saw them talk to each other, smile and laugh as if they were trying to stay positive. But then that man killed him, a reason I don’t quite know why but I had an idea. I realised that I didn’t want to be near humans, not the ignorant weak ones or the divine village members from the New Garden. I hated everything about living and surviving because either way, they involved humans. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I looked up while lying in my tent, I looked up at the arched neon orange ceiling. My sleeping back swallowed me like I was spaghetti. The book was still in my hands, underneath the covers, I forgot I had it. It was as if it was part of my body now, I couldn’t let it go, a fundamental part of my existence. For the first time in my life, I looked through the book.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I read it, not all of it, but I read some. I read the first bits that night. I was the only one in the tent. The others sat around the fire, like they did every night. I didn’t read it in the belief that I’ll be converted, I read it to try and identify the misconceptions. Genesis. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everything about it I didn’t understand, God said let there be light. But why did he pick that time? He woke up one day and said that there should be light. Nonsense. Why did he pick Adam and Eve? Why did he pick me? Why did he pick Sara? Why did he pick Julia? They were different Gods, the Bible God was made up; that was what we were told by Julia. Humanity believed that they knew more about God than God did himself so they decided to write a book, dictating what we should do. That’s what I believed anyway. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The deniers, the ones who put all their hope into this book after what happened were called crazy, crazy by the scientists. They denied any blame for what had happened to the world, disregarded any contribution to climate change, thermal expansion, blamed the Devil.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The devil works fast.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Some sciencey people weren’t any better however, sitting there, doing sciency stuff, taking credit for God, the real Gods, creations. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They said that humans should work together to try and save the world, science knows this is a futile aim. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The world turned to disarray in a week, and they state that just solely humans are the only ones that are able to fix it. Pure arrogance. Not all people are like that, stereotypes are wrong I know, things aren’t black and white, White and Green. No, there’s blue there, I could feel the blue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That is why there are so many opinions on morality, different perceptions which clash in such extreme circumstances, like the Earth freezing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>God comes in all shapes and forms for us that is the reason why people makeup different perceptions. God is too clever, too transcendent for us to understand, that is why we can’t understand why they do the things they do. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>We, as people, makeup these rules that we believe are morality. Some people believe that the Bible says two women can’t be in love, that anti-Christians should go to hell. People take things from the sacred texts and twist things, and state that this is what God wants. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And no, The New Garden is no better, it is a place in which people scrutinise the old world, for their ignorant perceptions of God through texts like the Bible, but they are no better. Yes women can be in love, but if you can’t turn water into wine, you should be killed. If you’re not attractive, you’re useless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That is what they believe. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I sat there reading the book, analysing it, I became invested, distant from my surroundings once again. I was distant from the shaking, from the avalanche-like rumbling, the turbulent cracking of ice below me. I was distant from the Germanic screaming of fear coming from outside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I had no idea all that was going on.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The land did sink. It sank and we all went with it. Cold water once again swallowed me down as the tent collapsed under the land. My eyes stayed closed at first in reflex to the sudden shift in environment. I opened them once I realised what was actually happening. The water was dark cerulean like before, just an aquatic abyss. Then I saw the blue hole, the portal beneath me in which I was sinking to. It was</span>
  <em>
    <span> Novum Hortis. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I swerved to the right by propelling my legs forcefully through the water. I didn’t want to go, I wanted to just let myself sink with the rest of the world. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t a political statement, I wasn’t telling people where my stance was; for science, for Christianity, for God. I just sank. The old lady sank with me, I thought that would be best for her, she wouldn’t have survived in the Novum Hortis. The other people went through the hole, I kept on sinking, the icy darkness that was the ocean embraced me. They were going to meet Sara, Julia, Amaya Johnny, I knew they weren’t going to be in for a warm welcome. But that’s their problem.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>My eyes stared up to the sky, the water filtered my view slightly, turning the sky a much darker grey. The old lady was sinking like me but a few metres in front, her body lay static. I assumed she was dead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>My short curly hair danced through the water, tickled my nose and chin. My cargo trousers felt heavy on land, but now they were light, almost intangible, meaningless. I didn’t need them anymore because their sole purpose was for survival, to keep you warm. I didn’t care whether I was warm or not. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I got deeper and deeper and deeper. Consciously, I wasn’t thinking about much, but I was almost certain my subconscious was reliving the indelible memories I had conjured up in my lifetime. Remembering my favourite pleated skirt, my house in South London, Sara, Nadia, everything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I cried, at least I thought I did but nothing came out for some reason. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I screamed, at least I thought I did, but nothing came out for some reason. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I had no idea where I was heading, the Bible says the devil is underground, God is up in the sky. But I didn’t care, I was going where I was going, not God’s plan anymore, my plan. I hoped that The New Garden was going to do well, it was going to flourish into a new world. It wasn’t going to be a utopia, because utopia’s don’t exist. The vast spectrum of every individual's perception of a utopia is too stratified for one to comprehend, regardless if their God's true descendants or not. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Earth was a world of degradation caused by humans, the ignorant weaklings who were punished by God. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Earth was a world in which could only be fixed by scientific discovery, not religious nonsense. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The New Garden was a place of paradise, natural bliss full of idiosyncratic people and pure perfection.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The New Garden was called the Devil’s place, the hoofprints of Satan, where immoral, nefarious and malevolent people lived. People that don’t believe in the Bible, the people that are against the Bible are in The Garden of the Devil. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>What if I tell you this: There are Hoofprints in every Garden.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I don’t know which world is whose, God’s or the Devil’s, but it doesn’t matter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Good comes in all forms and evil comes in all forms, omnibenevolence cannot occur without omni-malevolence. I learnt that, from all this. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p>
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